


Bloodhoppers

by Kookie_Krumbs



Category: Mamamoo, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: F/M, Multi, Vampires, bangtanmoo, btsmoo, honestly angst is my shit so here we go--, smut af
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-01-19 14:02:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12411702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kookie_Krumbs/pseuds/Kookie_Krumbs
Summary: Earth's population has skyrocketed; humans have hit the carrying capacity of the universe. As a means of balancing out this steep curve of growth, vampires have risen to power, acting as predators to steady the exponential human growth. A mysterious disadvantage, however, divides the vampires into two divisions: the Bloodhoppers, and the uncommon Loyals. The world begins to witness the tales of a division in power, and the anguish it creates in the vampires' not-so-monstrous hearts.





	1. Begin #1: Fangs.

Blood is essential to _any_ vampire's diet.

Bloodhoppers, Loyals, Inbetweens: whatever the fuck you want to call them in this overly sensitive society. If it has fangs, it needs human blood to survive. Thus is the textbook definition of a vampire in this new biological system, introduced to balance out Earth's surpassed carrying capacity. Yes, you heard that correctly. Humans, with their filthy, greedy ways, had somehow managed to exhaust Earth of its available resources. Rapidly growing civilizations wiped out forests and wildlife, leaving behind nothing but ash and devastation of the ecosystem. Humans became too powerful, and much too greedy for expansion. As a result, equilibrium shattered in the universe. With one species abusing their power, nature retaliated with the hopeful introduction of another powerful species: _vampires_.

Mass hysteria overtook the cities. Colossal death counts grew higher and higher. Vampires, without the correct knowledge of self-control, hungrily feasted upon humans who would forever condemn them. The human population sank substantially, and they titled this era, **The Bloodhopping Plague.** It wasn't until decades later, after they earned the reputation of monsters, that vampires realized they could survive for three full days without blood. Murder and mayhem between the species mellowed out over the years, yet the begrudging animosity is still very much apparent today.

Storybooks have classified vampires to be some sort of ghastly, brooding figure, lurking in the shadows to viciously suck the life force from your very neck. The description was _once_ accurate; however, evolution has hastily morphed vampires' appearances to conform within human society with ease.

Which leads us to our lovely, conforming vampire in question: Jeon Jungkook. The chocolate-haired, bright-eyed man is certainly no exception to the universe's biological structure. He has fangs, therefore he requires human blood to survive. However, the ways of a conventional vampire are beyond him.

How, you ask?

Well, he does not drink human blood directly from its source.

Upon first listen, the idea does not seem so outlandish. However, a vampire sipping blood from a pouch is as ridiculous as a human biting into a sandwich without any bread. A sandwich isn't a sandwich without bread, and blood isn't blood without warmth, plus the desperate screams from its host.

With that crude fact in mind, you could call Jungkook a "mental vegetarian", of sorts. He would rather sip blood from a plastic pack than forcefully sink his fangs into a wriggling human, who just so happens to be screaming in his ear for mercy.

 _"Your mind will change once you drink from your first human_ ," his parents had insisted.

 _So what?_ The thought of sucking away at a stranger's neck is repulsive. Don't get the wrong idea: it isn't as if Jungkook is adverse to the idea of blood. Rather, he craves it with every inch of his body. _Oh_ , how he would kill to accept hot blood flooding into his mouth, that familiar taste of iron creeping over his tongue and satisfying his hunger. He _shudders_ at the thought of his fangs piercing tender, trembling skin. The very thought of smoothing his tongue across the overflow of their sweet, sweet taste is pure ecstasy in itself. And _oh_ , to suck with reckless abandon at their skin, passionately nipping and kissing them until throbbing bruises dot their heaving neck. . .

 _Yes_ , _alright,_ so he has fetishized vampiric feasting a little bit. Respect his choices; fully grown vampires are still capable of seeking romance.

Still, Jungkook is sickened by the idea of feasting upon a person beyond their will. His parents scold him and enforce it as a cultural aspect, which only disgusts him further. Cultural or not, the notion is unfair to the weak. Nature may encourage him to kill off humans, but he exercises proper self-control. Such behavior has allowed him to attend college as a human would, away from the persistent nagging from his parents. He truly appreciates the time away from those who feed him with violent ideas. Humans seem to hold a closer belief to his ideology.

Park Jimin is one of the humans he befriended at his college. With a nest of bleached hair and a set of gentle facial features, Jimin is excellent company to have in class, contrary to those stuffy vampires who speak solely of their next victim. Of course, Jimin is clueless to Jungkook's true race. Humans have a tendency to separate themselves from those vampires upon revelation. You know the patterns by now: survival instincts, and all that biological nonsense.

"Hey, Jungkook. You wanted to move out of your parents' place, right?" Jimin had mentioned during their study session in the library, while effortlessly twirling his black pen between his pale fingers. "I heard one of our classmates from Calculus is looking for a roommate in her new apartment. I have her e-mail address: maybe you should take her offer."

"Really? Which classmate?" Jungkook lifted his head from his book, his interest newly piqued by this tempting offer. "If I know her, it might be a good idea."

Jimin pondered for a moment, his fingers coming to a standstill. "I don't know her real name, but they called her Kim Solar."

"Solar?" Jungkook blinked, lifting both eyebrows in curiosity. "That's a weird nickname."

And truly, it retained a distinct impression even as Jungkook sent her an e-mail later that night. For ten straight minutes he ponders at the screen, trying to decide whether he should send, " Dear Ms. Kim " , or, " Dear Solar. " The first option is much too formal, but the latter is too casual. Writing with impersonal terms seems out of place for a first e-mail, but extreme formality can set awkward boundaries between them as soon-to-be roommates.

How exactly, then, should he write this message?

"Oh, whatever." Jungkook grumbles, sipping blood from his pouch. Allowing the casing to dangle from his lips, he types a title that seems the least awkward to him.

" Dear Ms. Solar. . " He eventually sends along with his proposal, despite his inward cringing. Turning away from his computer, he scoots towards his television and game console to distract himself from the embarrassing situation at hand.

Thankfully, to ease his nerves, Solar responds in haste. Her e-mail arrives a short while later, prompting Jungkook to drop his video game controller, spin his chair towards his computer, and fixate his attention onto her words.

" Dear Mr. Kook.. " Her e-mail begins.

 _Mr. Kook?_ He almost wants to laugh. Perhaps this is her method of slyly teasing him for his awkward introduction. " _Maybe I'll like this human too"_ , he considers, while reviewing the apartment contract attached to the bottom of her e-mail. Living with her doesn't seem so abhorrent: she comes off as quirky, and as long as Jungkook can sip his bloodpacks in secrecy, the vampire circumstance won't be an issue. Eagerly applying fingers to keyboard, Jungkook types a reply and attaches his signed version of the apartment lease underneath.

After Solar's enthusiastic reply e-mail, Jungkook becomes much more eager to move out than anticipated.

Within days, his million oversized shirts, piles of games, and multitudes of blood packs are compressed into two suitcases. A tearful goodbye is exchanged between him and his parents, followed by half-empty promises to visit home often. He appreciates their care, he really does, but their conservative, almost forceful view on vampirism disgusts him. He finds himself almost _relieved_ to leave home.

Moving away from his parents means moving one step away from aggressive vampiric culture.

Upon his arrival at the apartment, Jungkook double-checks the number engraved into the nameplate. Apartment number sixty-six. Right. He recalls smirking at the similarity between sixty-six and six hundred and sixty-six while filling out the paperwork. All it needs is another six to be demonic. How spooky, and maybe a bit ironic. Solar is probably unaware that she's moving in with a vampire. Lucky for her, Jungkook is a mental vegetarian. But still, it's a tad bit _ironic_ , isn't it _?_ Numbers can speak heaps.

Jungkook reaches for the shiny silver doorknob, only to blink when he notices a small crack in the door. It seems Solar arrived first. A pang of excitement shoots through him at the opportunity to meet his new roommate. "Excuse me?" He politely calls, nudging the door open with his elbow.

As the door swings open, a slim, feminine figure in the kitchen twirls around to face him. Adorning an off-the-shoulder white fall dress, Kim Solar is an attractive adult who looks to be approximately twenty-two years old. Swiping long and shiny brown strands of mocha hair behind her ear, Solar flashes him a dazzling smile. "Oh, hi!" She chirps, her adorable cheeks rising with her upturned lips. "You're Kook, right?" She blinks, her long eyelashes fluttering above her hazel brown orbs.

Holy shit. Gasping, Jungkook nods his head. "Yeah, but we've met before, haven't we?" He hadn't recognized her by name, but upon gazing at her face, it's unmistakeable."Do you remember me? From..." He trails off, hoping she'll finish his sentence.

"Oh, yeah!" Solar giggles, nodding her head. "We took Statistics together, didn't we? And we sat next to each other everyday."

"Yeah, but I never knew your name!" Jungkook returns enthusiastically, ecstatic to be on the same wavelength. The seats weren't even assigned, and yet they always felt compelled to sit within close proximity. Over time, he found himself admiring her beautiful side profile during class. He became fascinated with the vast difference between her luminous smile and her curt, focused countenance. But of course, with the interspecial taboo in mind, Jungkook never made a move to ask for her name. Hell, he never even introduced himself properly. But whenever a certain mathematical concept didn't resonate with him, he would nudge her and request her help. This exchange continued over the course of a year, until their completion of the course. Since then, Jungkook had been slightly disappointed to find that she was rarely seen around campus anymore. "Wow, this is a big coincidence."

"It makes me feel less nervous about this. I hoped I wouldn't move in with some creep." Solar hums, twirling around to face her several suitcases again. "Anyways, I already claimed my room. You can start unpacking if you want to, or just browse around the apartment. I put your copy of the key in your room." Promptly, she begins shuffling through her multitudes of items, tossing aside some packed foods. Upon first glance, instant ramen and microwave-prepared spicy rice cakes seem to be her go-to food items. Unhealthy, but reasonable for a _human_ college student.

"Okay, thanks." Rolling his suitcases inside, Jungkook steps past her and observes the interior of the apartment. With white carpeting, white walls, and marble white countertops, any splash of blood will most likely stain it very easily. _I should drink carefully so I don't spill anything_ , Jungkook inwardly reminds himself. Upon glancing at the various doors, he recognizes the door to his room, which is directly beside hers. Opening the door, he is relieved to find a majority of his pre-provided furniture (minus the carpeting and the walls) are black. The mini-fridge he ordered, equipped with a lock, seems to have arrived as well, as he notices it propped on top of a sleek black nightstand. His first objective is to plug it in and stuff all his bloodpacks inside, while Solar is occupied with her unpacking. Once the bloodpacks are all stuffed inside, the lock is secured into place and he pushes the mini-fridge into the corner of the room. It would be best not to draw too much attention towards it.

Amidst the remainder of his unpacking, Jungkook is startled by what sounds akin to a screeching dolphin from the next room. _What the fuck was that?_

Stepping away from his half-empty suitcases, Jungkook jogs over to Solar's room. "Holy shit--" He instinctively gasps, taking in the sight of a tippy-toed, skinny-armed, 5'4 Kim Solar attempting to haul a dense suitcase into the top of her closet.

"It's gonna fall, Kook! I'm so screwed!" Solar shrieks, her weak arms beginning to wobble from the sheer weight of it all.

"Shit, hold on!" Dashing over, Jungkook assumes a fairly close position behind her, reaching over her arms to grasp the edges of the suitcase. He inhales a noseful of air to prepare himself for the push upwards, only to immediately freeze in his tracks.

_Underneath him, Solar smells extremely fucking appetizing._

And it isn't your average, "Oh, I'm craving some icecream," type of appetizing. Solar's smell is of an irresistible, juicy, mouth-watering steak frying on the grill, its smell wafting throughout the air to tempt those haunted by starvation. Allowing his eyes to flicker downwards, he catches a glimpse of her neck: a pasty white neck with vividly outlined collarbones. Innately, his irises flash a hungry red. He almost wants to drool; he would kill to taste her blood, even just a _tiny_ sip of it. She's standing so fucking close; all it would take is a pierce of his fangs for her beautiful, crimson red blood to trickle down her neck, ready for his devouring. Just barely holding himself back, Jungkook gulps and holds his breath. _You don't drink directly from people, Jungkook,_ He inwardly reminds himself. Forcing his own eyes away from Solar's neck, he manages one last push to slide the suitcase into place. Before she earns the opportunity to turn around, he skids an arm's length away from her, his stiff shoulders relaxing. The red, _the hunger_ , dwindles away from his eyes. Thank fucking god he didn't lose it. Especially on their first day together.

"Thank you so much, I thought I was a goner." Solar exhales, fanning herself with her hand. Her scent blows his way for a second, causing an even greater discomfort.

"Um, yeah. No problem." Jungkook breathes in return, nervously chewing his bottom lip. Perhaps this living arrangement will be more difficult than he initially anticipated. "Uh, I'm--" He fidgets for a second, before heading to his room. "I'm gonna keep unpacking."

"Okay!" Solar's chipper voice calls out, followed by enthusiastic humming. "Let me know if you need any help."

Jungkook steps into his room and urgently shuts the door behind him, inhaling blank air deeply. Fuck, he had almost lost it earlier.. just by a _scent_. Just how deprived has he become over the years? If he has survived for his entire life without a sip of blood directly from its source, why have the cravings spiked up so heavily _now?_ "Fuck. You idiot." He grumbles to himself, burying his face in his hands.

 _"Your mind will change once you drink from your first human_ ," his parents' accusatory voices echo in his ear.

**_Maybe they were right all along._ **


	2. Stigma #1: Backroom.

But of course, Jeon Jungkook is one-in-a-million.  
A faraway, humanistic, needle-in-the-haystack rarity.  
A superior predator by nature, yet clouded with humanity underneath. 

How nice would it be, if all vampires were like him?

It's certainly a nice thought. But if you have deluded yourself that vampires are gradually evolving to save human lives, wipe your foggy eyes clean and confront the truth. The world hasn't changed. The world hasn't forgiven. And yet, no one can blame you for your hope. For your delusion. _"The world will become a safer place,_ " humans had hoped long ago, just like you. Ironically, despite this faith, humans foolishly did nothing. They averted their eyes and remained ignorant to danger, allowing it to seethe and multiply in the sidelines. 

Now, the danger lives amongst them.

As intimidating as it sounds, at least the death toll by vampiric feeding has plummeted significantly. What still remains, however: is the overwhelming fear of being consumed alive, rendered tragically helpless at the mercy of a ravenous being. The storybooks rant all about the horrors of having blood unwillingly sucked from one's body, as if the consumption itself would simultaneously drain away their life force. In reality, this depiction is untrue, with the rare exception of vampires overconsuming from their prey. But the storybooks are mass published, and humans would do anything to despise those who steal what is not rightfully theirs, even if it means listening to senseless propaganda. To validate their despise, humans have deemed all vampires to be disgusting, greedy thieves lurking in the darkness of the night.

Well, it's a bit unfair to stereotype all of them into one moral category, isn't it? More specifically and realistically, rather than accusing _all_ vampires of thievery, they would technically be referring to the common Bloodhopper: vampires who jump from prey to prey.

Take Kim Taehyung, for example.

Resembling a human (as all vampires do), Kim Taehyung is a rather handsome Bloodhopper standing at a height of five feet and ten inches. Well-built, brightly animated, and compassionate, no one would ever suspect a man of such good-mannered perfection to tiptoe around at night, forcefully sinking his fangs into the neck of a poor, helpless person. 

Well, society can avert their eyes however they like, but the truth is reoccurring. Every two nights, to suppress his seemingly unsatiable hunger, Kim Taehyung infiltrates the usual nightclub to resume his job of running the bar in the humble corner. Every now and then, when clubbers gather in the center of the dance floor to rock with increased enthusiasm, Taehyung would pick off half-conscious drunkards sagging on the bar counter and escort them to the back under the guise of phoning a taxi. And boy, does he have everybody fooled. In the secrecy of the backroom, Taehyung would forcefully clamp a hand over his prey's mouth and pierce their neck with his sharp fangs, sucking at their blood without restraint. He would drink and drink until his stomach can take no more, but as the last mouthful is accepted, he would carefully revel in the taste of iron pooled in his mouth.. against his wriggling, satisfied tongue. He must look like a feral animal in such a state, with blood streaked at the corner of his mouth, glowing red eyes clamped shut with bliss, and an unconscious drunkard wilted on the floor in front of him. 

Following his meal, Taehyung is not one to leave his prey laying about. Often, he requests a taxi for them and eases his still-unconscious victims into the backseat. He pays the fee for the ride, as a means of atoning for his thievery. _"I'm sorry I drank from you,"_ he means to say with the payment, _"but a man's gotta eat."_ This floating message forever goes unnoticed, as his victims are unconscious and unaware during the feeding. Their suspicion of him is nonexistent, and they awaken in a hopelessly frail state that they ultimately blame on their excessive drinking. 

Tonight is no different. Adorned in all black and sporting a slicked-back head of blonde, Taehyung is the image of perfection as he prepares drinks for the multitudes of partygoers gathered around the bar. Here and there, he converses with patrons and humors them with a silly joke, but his sights are set entirely on a wilted woman of perhaps twenty-one, dressed in vivid crimson red. Hunched over the bar's countertop, the drowsy brunette reaches for her freshly filled shotglass, her hand swiping right past it due to her lack of coordination. 

Intervention is unnecessary. Humans have a tendency to drink themselves senseless, even without his influence. Taehyung follows the usual routine: he leaves the brunette alone while tending to other patrons, and upon returning to her, sets his eyes upon a blacked-out human ready for the drinking. That didn't take long. Then again, it _never_ does.

Easing her out of her barstool, Taehyung excuses himself from his other customers and escorts the brunette into the backroom. Gently, he props her against a wooden chair and swipes her brunette locks away from her neck. A red glow arises in his eyes. Damn; he's hungry. "Sorry." He mutters, clasping a hand over her eyes for extra measure. Pushing her head backwards, he leans forward to nip two fresh holes into her vulnerable neck. He licks his lips hungrily and he observes with satisfaction as red gushes from the punctures. _Fuck yes_. _"Don't be ashamed,"_ he reminds himself. " _Allow yourself to succumb to your hunger."_

And he does. Shuddering from the sheer satisfaction of consumption, Taehyung runs his tongue across the crimson liquid. He clamps his lips over its source and sucks without mercy, gulping and gulping until his stomach is nearly full. 

"Tae-Tae! Are you in there?" A chipper voice resonates outside of the door, followed by three consecutive knocks.

 _Shit_. Fuck. This wasn't supposed to happen. Instantly breaking away from the fully unconscious female underneath him, Taehyung wipes away the blood on his lips with his black sleeve. While blinking away the glowing red in his eyes, he flicks the lights on and swings the door open to welcome his short, adorable girlfriend of four years: Jung Wheein. "Wheein-ah!" He exclaims, engulfing his tiny girlfriend in an embrace. Purposely, he buries his face into her shoulder, avoiding mouth-to-mouth contact. He hopes to god that she won't kiss him; he doesn't want her to taste the iron lingering on his tongue.

"Your shift is over, right? Did you miss me that much?" His enthusiastic girlfriend giggles, returning his embrace with equal vigor. Separating herself from him, she adjusts her purse over her shoulder and steps on her tippytoes, leaning forward to press a long-awaited kiss to his lips. 

"Shit-" Taehyung instinctively gasps, dodging his head to the side. A million possibilities flash before his eyes at the thought of kissing her at this moment. What if she breaks off their relationship and distances herself due to fear? What if she tastes the forbidden blood on his tongue and calls him a monster?  _What if she doesn't accept him for who he really is?_

This fear of his is common, really. Taehyung and Wheein have spent time together for half of their lives; every single day requires a complex plan to hide away the truth. By now, lying has become a routine. Every little thing, down to the most trivial detail, must be disguised with something human. He must not drool at the sight of her defined neck. He must not defend the deeds of the Bloodhoppers so similar to him. He must act as a human: he must condemn vampires as humans do. He must have a human excuse for everything, because society does not favor him.

Wheein skids to a halt directly in front of his face, her eyebrows furrowing downwards. Avoidance is absolutely rare. Generally, Taehyung jumps at the opportunity to drink in any taste of her he can get through kisses. "Tae?" Confusion and hurt overtakes her features, and it kills him to see her big puppy eyes so vulnerable, so wounded. Taehyung shifts his eyes away from her, unable to explain himself. The truth would only hurt the both of them. His elders have taught him to keep his blabbing mouth shut.

Tension occupies the air. Wheein retreats from her hold over Taehyung, casting her sulking gaze around the dimly-lit backroom to distract herself. Abruptly, she gasps at the sight of a wilted figure draped lifelessly over a wooden chair. "Oh my god, who's this? Did a customer faint _again_?" Wheein struts over to the brunette, sniffing around for alcohol. "Ugh, I think she was a bit too eager with the drinks."

Taehyung leans against the door, keeping a careful eye on his girlfriend. "Yeah, I was trying to call a taxi for her."

"..My taxi is still outside. Why don't we just give it to her? We can walk home." Wheein offers, swiping her cinnamon brown locks behind her ear. 

The compromise, in all of its simplicity, is easily agreed upon. With very minimal words exchanged between them, Wheein and Taehyung assist the unconscious drunkard into the backseat of a taxi. A quick glance through the woman's phone yields her address, and soon enough the taxi hits the road with Taehyung's victim in the backseat. "Let's go home." Taehyung urges to a stoic-faced Wheein, who spins and struts to their shared apartment without a single word. Sheepishly walking behind her, Taehyung begins to fret. The crisp night air would be beautiful, if not for the potential anger seething in the petite woman in front of him. Has she discovered his secret? Why is she acting so indifferently? _"Calm the fuck down Tae, you're not getting anywhere by being paranoid."_ He inwardly scolds himself, but to no avail. The worry only multiplies at the sight of indifference from the single object of his affections.

This frantic concern, too, is common in their relationship.

The arrival to their apartment is no different in terms of tensity. Tossing her purse onto the usual rack by the door, Wheein struts into the kitchen and starts up the stove fire to heat up the leftovers. Hovering near the entrance to the kitchen, Taehyung unbuttons the first few notches on his black dress shirt: something he always does to relax once work is finished. However, today, he just can't seem to relax. Not with Jung Wheein, his one pillar of strength, his one and only love, turning a cold shoulder against him.

"....Wheein-ah." He finally manages to call, despite his better thoughts.

"What?" She responds coldly, while assorting their couple's-set eating utensils. 

Shit. She's definitely mad at him. Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Taehyung approaches her tense figure from behind. "You're mad at me, aren't you?" Of course she is. The Wheein he knows is bright-spirited, humorous, and teasing. This detached attitude only ever arises when he fucks up during one of his many lies. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," is what she says, but she knows. Taehyung knows that she knows. She knows that this relationship is filled with lies: lies that stem from the very first time they were acquainted.. Lies that may never be explained, lies that are far out of her reach. 

Taehyung wants to apologize. 

"I'm sorry, Kitten. Tell me what's wrong." Taehyung whispers from behind her, circling her waist with his protective arms. He rests his chin on her shoulder and presses a light kiss to her ear. "Please. I want to make things right."

Hesitation arises in her actions. Taehyung watches with care as she fumbles with the chopsticks in her hands and relaxes her shoulders, as if in defeat. "You dodged my kiss earlier. Normally I wouldn't really care, but.." She's mumbling now, and begrudgingly stirring the leftovers in the pan. "You were locked in the backroom with some half-conscious girl. You get how this sounds, right? What were you doing with her, Tae?"

"Nothing. I was _really_ trying to call a taxi." Lies flow from his mouth like fish swimming in water by now. Untruths have become customary to keep their relationship alive. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry. Really, I just drank a little-- I didn't want you to taste the alcohol."

_But that has never stopped him from kissing her before._

Silence engulfs the room at the realization. Both realize the flaw in his argument, but no attempt to refute it is made. Wheein nods her head, intertwining her left hand with his. "Okay. I'll trust you." She attempts to convince herself through words. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she wiggles out of his embrace and begins to plate his food. "Go sit at the table, the food will come to you."

"You're not mad at me anymore?" He finds it difficult to believe her fast recovery. Perhaps a sense of denial has clouded her. Perhaps she, too, is lying to him.

"No, baby. I'm not mad anymore. Now go sit your flat ass down." Giggling lightly, Wheein whacks his bottom and sends him on his way.

The air is lighter now. As Taehyung strolls over to his seat at the table, it's almost as if the conflict between them hadn't existed. Over a decade of continuous lying, they have learned to recover quickly from the inevitable. Only mutual tolerance and affection remain in this relationship. 

True, it's unhealthy, but love is love. He isn't one to doubt his own heart, and neither is she.

This arrangement hasn't killed them yet.

Within two minutes of preparation, the steaming leftovers are placed in front of Taehyung on the table. Tonight's dinner is seafood stirfry. "Wow, looks delicious!" He enthusiastically compliments, with yet another nontruth. In fact, the mess of glossy noodles and seared shrimp prepared in front of him looks absolutely abhorrent. It smells of death; the stench itself is enough to make him feel like he's drowning in the depths of the deep ocean. He gathers a small portion of it in his chopsticks, gulping down his bile the closer it gets to his mouth. " _You must act,_ " he reminds himself, " _She can never know._ " A false expression of satisfaction engulfs his features as he chews through the shrimp's stringy flesh. He holds back the urge to projectile vomit with every brush to his tastebuds. It takes every clenched muscle in his body to finally swallow, and sigh in faulty relief. "Amaaazing cooking as always! My Wheeinie is so talented." He blows her a kiss from his spot at the table. "I would die without you~."

Wheein giggles, obviously appreciating his bright reaction. "Right? Anyways, I'll let you eat. I'm gonna hop in the shower. You can join me if you finish early." She ruffles his head of hair before strolling towards the bathroom.

Sitting absolutely still, Taehyung allows all of his senses, minus his hearing, to fade. He agonizingly focuses on the sound of her footsteps, ' _one, two, three, four, five, six'_ , all the way to the bathroom.

_Six... seven... eight steps. The squeaking of the door's hinges. Just a little more and..._

The door finally clicks shut.

Springing upwards immediately, Taehyung darts from his chair to the familiar kitchen sink. Burying his face into its depths, he frantically shoves a finger down his throat, hoping to god that his gag reflexes will activate at once. The process doesn't take long; he had already been intensely nauseous prior to this. Hastily, Taehyung vomits into the depths of the drain, coughing and spitting away the taste of the filthy ocean on his tongue. Breathing heavily to calm his newly fatigued body, he threads his fingers through his hair and wipes his mouth clean with the back of his sleeve.

This vicious cycle, of eating, vomiting, and eating again, is routine by now. He's accustomed to doing this. This is the only way to fool her. Vampires were not evolutionized to consume human food. Their primary food is human blood and human blood only; they cannot digest anything else. Hence, any food item other than blood feels like acid sizzling on his tongue.  
But if vomiting will allow him to love her, then so be it.  
He will act human for her.

Dumping the remainder of the noodles in the trash, Taehyung washes the dishes and retreats to their bedroom. Collapsing on his side of the bed, he closes his eyes and allows the ringing of silence to invade his ears. He's exhausted. After acting like someone who he isn't, he is truly and utterly drained.

But, no matter how worn he may feel, the painful lifestyle of a conforming Bloodhopper will never change.

_Especially not when love is involved._


	3. Worthless #1: Addiction.

By now, you probably recognize the ceaseless pattern.

To coexist with humans, a vampire must lie.

A vampire must deceive,  
must hide away their hunger,   
must feel shame for their natural cravings.

But now you wonder,  
_what happens if a vampire is honest about their hunger?  
What happens if they cannot commit themselves to living a lie?_

_What happens if a human finds out about the truth?_

Well, nature has developed that answer for itself.

The answer first stems from collective human perception. The idea of having life's serum directly sucked from one's own neck is immediately unnervng, and with collective fear comes an inevitable human avoidance. With avoidance comes many oversights: loopholes in the system where humans don't pry because of their selfish, pitiful fear of being preyed upon. The loophole, this _specific type of vampire_ , had been miniscule during its originating roots, but continuous human disregard has allowed it to multiply and adapt to survive in the dark sidelines, where the public eye cannot observe. 

Indeed, now a small population of shameless vampires exist out there somewhere,  
feasting hungrily upon _a singular human_  who knows of their true, bloodthirsty, animal nature.

 _And we call them_ ** _Sinners_**.

Prior to the negative connotations attached to them, Sinners had been referred to as Loyals. But the terrible, horrifying history has written itself; Loyals had carved a piece of fear into the balance of the population, and in their blazing pathway of destruction, had earned themself an immoral, disgraceful name to haunt them forever. 

_But then again, societal perception has never stopped Min Yoongi, a ruthless Sinner, from doing whatever the fuck he likes._

_Especially_ not when he is hovered over Moon Byulyi's bruised, naked body, viciously digging his fangs into the sharp curves of her skinny neck.

Even as his desperate thirst is quenched with the divine taste of her blood, he craves more. Even as he pierces her sopping wet sensitivity with his fingers and revels in the sound of her guttural moan beside his ear, he craves more. Even as he grasps her ass with one hand and traces the outline of her waist, he craves more. His intense lust, his cravings for her, manifests itself into an uncomfortably tight tug at his abdomen, and the obsessive, carnal desire to mercilessly fuck her into the springs of the goddamn mattress. 

And so he does. Slinging her thin legs over his shoulders and pushing into her forcefully, he quenches his lustful thirst, his bodily desire. Amidst his repetition of ruthless thrusts and the sucking of her neck, he feels his mind screwing loose, and allows Byul's addictive feel and taste to dictate his every living, breathing moment.

"Shit, _fuck_ , Yoongi, Sugar--" Byul lustfully growls, her toes curling in the air and her hips jolting upwards, "Ugh, I'm gonna cum--!"

That's his cue. Lifting one hand in the air, he plants a powerful strike onto her thigh, leaving a burning red hand mark to sting in its wake. Byul screams in both pain in pleasure, her hips rocking mightily for deeper, harder friction. Licking his lips hungrily, Yoongi gazes down at her wanton expression, his glowing red eyes trailing down to crimson blood, trickling down from the two gaping holes in her neck and sinking down the outline of her collarbones, which glisten from the shine of her sweat.

Pressing his tongue to the frame of her collarbones, he sops up every last drop of her sweet, sweet taste. The quenching of his thirst, the satiation of his agonizing hours of longing, drives him entirely over the edge. The edges of his vision are consumed by white, and he loses himself in her, allowing his deepest animal instincts to drive the last of his deep thrusts into her sensitivity. She, too, loses herself from the intensity of want, of being wanted, and the shuddering feel of being loved so feverishly. At the last of her wits, she follows suit in his climax, her hands clawing streaks into the mess of bedsheets underneath them.

Things return to normal following a resting period to breathe and relax.  Byul never fails to engage in her favorite practice of teasing his unsatiable cravings for her, and only her. Oftentimes she is the first to sit up in bed, her long, slim fingers tracing the two gaping holes in her neck and the dried line of saliva from where Yoongi's tongue had strayed. "Wow, your tongue gets more and more adventurous everyday, Sugar." Byul hums in intrigue, applying pressure to the two open wounds to halt any excess bleeding. "So? Are you sick of my blood yet?" She teasingly questions this every night, casting her smug gaze down onto his resting figure. By now, after months and months of this neverending occurrence, she knows the goddamn answer by now. But an inner part of her, the part that enjoys exercising power in their relationship, lives to hear the repetition of his dependency on her.

"Never." Yoongi answers, loosely grasping her hand and lazily pressing a kiss to her palm. "In fact, you taste better and better every time, Starlight." He mutters the pet name against her fingers, allowing his lips to graze her skin. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" She cocks an eyebrow upwards, bending her fingers to trace the outline of his lips. "I don't drink your blood. You told me I can't."

"No. I mean, are you sick of _me_ yet?" He clarifies, wrapping a hand securely around her fingers. This, too, is reoccurring: the fear of losing her, the fear of watching her waltz to another lover, the fear of spiralling to madness without her taste on his tongue. 

Byul answers him with a scoff. "No." She laces their fingers together. "And I doubt I ever will be."

A sense of true, mutual contentment falls over them. Tugging her downwards into his chest, Yoongi rests his chin atop her head and breathes in her magnificent scent."Good," He mutters, pressing a peck to the top of her scalp. "Because I can't live without you."

His words are not mere, insignificant whispers of sweet nothings. His words hold the heavy truth of the single crippling aspect of his life that he cannot quite control: his developed obsession for Moon Byulyi's everything. Mostly, work at Yoongi's music studio flows along smoothly, until the second-day hunger strikes. From then on, the only thing consuming his thoughts are Byul: the thought of tasting her, the thought of pressing her skinny figure into the sheets, the thought of fucking her senseless. He lives constantly with this distraction, with this neverending appetite lingering in his stomach. No one else's blood will suffice. Yoongi has tried the bloodpacks. He has tried sinking his fangs into someone else, to change this neverending cycle. But when the blood enters his mouth, all he knows is that _the blood isn't hers_ , and just the thought of it is enough to make him sick to his stomach. The others have warned him about the consequences, but he hadn't listened. "You'll become addicted to your prey, just like all the other Sinners," they advised over and over again, "and you'll wither away because humans are cruel, cruel creatures."

But Yoongi has never been one to listen.

In fact, he rather takes pride in the idea of dedicating himself to one being. As restrictive as it may be, he feels less animalistic-- less desperate than those who constantly search their area for new prey. 

Even now, as Yoongi strolls home to his apartment with his laptop in hand, his stomach growls in longing for Byul's most vital fluids. He huffs in anticipation, almost unable to control his cravings, before a faded shriek resonates nearby. Halting in his tracks, Yoongi allows his eyes to scan the sidewalk before he turns his head towards the alleyway beside him. There, under the aid of seclusion, a Bloodhopper is hovered over a struggling figure, her hand clasped over her victim's mouth. Perhaps the hunger had been too much for her; perhaps her perserverance dwindled throughout the days of starvation. No matter what her excuse may be, Yoongi feels nothing but disgust when observing her desperate gulping and her animalistic ways of slurping the excess blood pooled on her lips, down to every last drop. 

 _Disgusting._ Yoongi feels superior to this; he feels _more humane_ in his own method of survival.

Whirling away from the sight in hypocrtical revulsion, Yoongi hurries homewards to satiate his cravings. Hurriedly, he shoves his key into the door of the apartment and swings it open, setting his sights upon Byul, who happens to be seated comfortably on the couch with a remote loosely hanging from her fingers. With her ash blonde hair gathered in a low ponytail, her neck is freshly ready for his taking.

Before he can rush to consume her, however, she takes notice of his return. "Welcome h-" Byul begins, only to be interrupted by Yoongi's frenzied hands violently pressing her frame onto the back of the couch. Throwing away all sense of pride or humanity, he sinks his fangs into her and sucks from the wounds, shutting his eyes to revel in the liberating feel of _freedom_ from his addiction.

The feasting almost _hurts_ this time; Byul flinches at the sudden piercing of her neck and the rough application of force to her body. "Just how hungry were you?" She inquires in a low voice, threading her fingers through the fibers of his mint-colored hair. No answer. She finds herself dizzy from the sudden loss of blood, but it isnt as if she minds. This is what she signed up for, the moment Yoongi first revealed his fangs to her. "Are you done?" Byul patiently asks, as his lips detach from her skin and his light, contented breathing brushes against her neck.

"Yeah... yeah. I'm done." Yoongi whispers, replacing the aggression with soft pecks to her neck. "Sorry, Starlight. You know how it is when I wait a long time."

"I've never seen you move that fast." Byul snickers, teasing him with a reference to his sluggish nature. 

"As long as you feed me properly, you won't have to see it again." Yoongi smirks, removing himself from above her. He relaxes back on the couch and props his head on her shoulder in exhaustion, allowing his eyelids to gradually shut. "...I saw a Bloodhopper in an alleyway on my way back."

"Huh." Byul hums in acknowledgment, switching channels on the television idly. Several television broadcasts of vampires having mass-feedings and vampires being biologically analyzed appear on the screen. Naturally, Byul finds most of it to be awfully common news by now. Most of the broadcasting information flies right past her head as she continues listening to her boyfriend's worries. "And? Did they make you extra hungry or something?"

"Pretty fucking opposite. Bloodhoppers are filthy." Yoongi grumbles into the sleeve of her T-shirt.

Byul snorts in amusement, nudging him with her elbow. "Hey, weren't you technically a Bloodhopper before we met?"

"Yeah. That doesn't make it any better." He frowns.

"But they call you a Sinner. You're sinning everytime we fuck, you know."

"I know." Yoongi lazily responds, grinning up at her with his naughty, suggestive eyes.

Byul flushes in response to his intense gaze and clears her throat. "You're too open, you know that?" She wiggles away from him and stands, stretching her arms above her head. "Ugh, I need coffee."

"Says the one who was casually mentioning how often we fuck." He chuckles, casually eyeing the bare skin of her stomach and the slight indent of her abs, "Besides, your nickname is Conservative Moon. _Everything_ is too open to you."

"Except dating a vampire, apparently." Byul's voice drips with playful sarcasm during her walk to the kitchen. 

Rolling his eyes humorously at the mention, Yoongi's gaze drifts over to the television program that Byul left behind. On the shining screen, a mugshot of a baggy-eyed Bloodhopper is shown, followed by the picture of a deceased victim who was apparently sucked dry. "Although vampires have claimed to assimilate properly into human society," the news anchor continues to commentate, "We are beginning to see a shift in beliefs; more and more murders have occurred. Overall, public acceptance rates of vampires stand at an astonishing thirty percent. Many assert that vampires should be arrested, or completely wiped from society."

 _Damn._  This is why he rarely watches TV. Yoongi hadn't thought a news forecast could ever anger him. Yet here he is, scowling at the projected image of a news anchor and feeling wronged by everything. Sure, he doesn't approve of the way Bloodhoppers feast, but he understands their cravings all too well. Vampires are different because of a craving-- because of a different method of digestion. So why, then, are they shamed so heavily for something so natural to their instincts?

"Why do you look pissed?" Byul inquires on her return from the kitchen, a mug of coffee nestled between both of her palms. Resuming her position beside Yoongi on the couch, she turns her attention to the screen. "...Oh."

"I fucking hate humans." Yoongi hastily asserts, his gaze darkening.

"No you don't. You like _me_ , don't you?"

"That doesn't count." He sighs, cradling his head in his hands. "Everyone else is biased."

Byul remains in silence for a while, before switching off the television. "I shouldn't have let you watch that. " She admits, blowing air onto the rippling surface of her coffee. "But you don't need to worry. You still have me here, no matter what." She reassures him, offering him the mug. "Coffee for comfort?"

"You know what I'm going to answer." He replies, admittedly consoled from her promises to remain.

"Oh yeah, vampires can't drink coffee. Sucks to be you. You're missing out." She retracts her arm, swirling around the beverage gently. "...Blood for comfort, then?" She offers him her pale arm, eyes twinkling with the generosity to assist.

Now forcibly removed from his sour mood, Yoongi grins and accepts her arm with merriment. "Don't mind if I do." He thanks her, eyes glistening red from the fresh hunger rumbling in his stomach.

And as Yoongi lowers his fangs onto her flesh and drinks from her again and again,  
he continues with his inevitable act of sinning,  
and the addictive cycle embarks on another rotation of spinning.


	4. Begin #2: Control.

So now, the fate of a vampire becomes clear.

For Kim Taehyung and Min Yoongi, the cycle spins on and on, with no mercy from the frustrating grasps of their hunger.

They possess no control. No method of holding back from sweet, sweet relief, or the damn satisfying feeling of indulging in someone else's taste. No method of turning their head away from what they crave most, or stepping back from the embrace of overindulgence.

They cannot resist the temptation. They _will not_ resist the temptation.

Jeon Jungkook, however, has been unable to share this sentiment.

Temptation has been a factor that haunted him all his life. From working near human friends to walking in public, Jungkook has constantly been haunted by the appealing scent of _food_ wafting all around him. The temptation, the desire, is _especially_ enticing when he hasn't eaten in _days._ But nothing quite measures up to just how fucking appetizing Kim Solar smells, and not to mention how she fucking _looks_. Living together with someone so bubbly and bright-spirited is certainly refreshing, but Jungkook finds himself clenching his fists and holding his breath as a method of self-control much too often. Something about her aromatic smell and glowing skin rouses his senses, to where he _dreams_ of Solar surrendering her sensual self to his feasting, and oftentimes awakens to a sticky hot mess underneath his covers. The whole concept of restraint has been shameful and inwardly demanding, but somehow, through four weeks of living together with temptation itself, Jungkook has managed to grasp onto his final straws of self-control.

And thankfully, on the plus side of everything, Solar is an extraordinary roommate to have.

Gratefully, the pair are extremely compatible when it comes to living together. On most homework-free nights, Jungkook and Solar generally find themselves cooped up on the couch together, watching some ridiculous show or, with some persistence on Solar's part, watching a popular horror film and screaming together. On their second week together, Jungkook had recommended her to a popular shooting game, and much to his inner delight, she had demolished his team on the first round of playing. Without his gaming buddy Taehyung around any longer, Jungkook finds himself extremely grateful to have found a roommate who is beautiful, entertaining, and a natural gamer all at once. Their compatibility is much higher than what Jungkook had originally expected, resulting in a friendship that he soon finds to be extremely valuable.

It also hadn't taken them long to create nicknames for one another.

"Should I really be calling you Kook?" Solar had inquired on their third day together, while seated beside him on their comfortable little couch. "I feel like it's a bit awkward."

"Thanks for calling my name awkward." Jungkook had snickered, still amused by her choice of nickname. "You've been calling me Kook ever since your first e-mail."

"You could have told me if it was weird!" She whined, threading her fingers through her silky, dazzling strands of mocha-colored hair. Allowing her fingers to settle on the back of her neck, she pondered. "What about Kookie, then?"

Ogling her in the corner of his eye, Jungkook released a deep breath to control his appetite. "..That works. But what do I call you? I've been calling you Solar, but.. it doesn't sound very Korean."

Giggling, she smacked his arm. "Pssh. Of course it doesn't, it was a name change. Solar should be fine!"

"Okay. So, Solar. Like solar panels."

"Ugh, you jerk." With squeaks of laughter resembling a dolphin's, she hugged her milky white legs tighter to her chest. "I should definitely just call you Kookie- like a Cookie- then, because you look pleasant until someone takes a bite and tastes your stale humor."

"Wow, that hurts." Jungkook snickered, pressing a hand to his chest in mock-defense. "Okay then, Sunshine. I see how it is."

"Oh, Sunshine? Is that my nickname now?" She cocked one eyebrow upwards in intrigue, willing to challenge him in their nickname wars.

"Sarcastically, yes. _Little Miss Sunshine_." Jungkook teased, smirking with the intention to win.

The topic had concluded with Solar shouting in protest, and Jungkook laughing his ass off. Their bickering continued onwards for hours, until late night struck on the clock, and a playful, sleepy truce was drawn between the both of them. Jungkook had crawled into bed floating on cloud nine that night, his mood significantly uplifted by the prospect of a quickly developing friendship.

Amidst all his happiness and the pleasant surprises, he eventually began to wonder: are there any possible downsides to living with Kim Solar?

The answer to that is: well, sometimes, yes, there are.

After all, Solar is an unsuspecting human, and Jungkook is a _hungry_ vampire attempting to hide away his shameful appetite.

When living with her, feasting transforms into one of the most hasslesome necessities to ever exist.

Jungkook never fails to lock his door before bundling up underneath his blankets, sucking viciously at the bloodpack wrinkled between his shaky fingers. With his eyes shut, he imagines sucking at Solar's neck, his lips brushing against her smooth, pale skin. Groaning, he finds himself _rushing_ , scrambling to force the supplemental liquids down his throat before Solar could possibly come knocking at his door and interrupt his vivid, passionate imagery. Amidst his haste he sometimes chokes, exploding into a fit of violent coughs and furious gasps for air. His struggles would cause the blood to dribble down his mouth and splatter all around him, leaving a shameful mess of red oozing onto his shirt and pants, and leaving himself _angry_ at the world for bringing him to life as a dreadful vampire who dreams of filthy, animalistic fantasies.

Much to his relief, Solar has yet to knock on the door during his fearful feasting.  
But unfortunately, the paranoia causes him to wash his bedsheets very, very often.

"That's your third laundry cycle this week." Solar commentates from the comfort of her room, suggestively tilting her head to be seen from the hallway. Jungkook glances to her and struggles to retain a solid hold on his bundled-up bedsheets, his arms stretched over the thick fabric. Little does Solar know, wrapped up within his bedsheets is the messy aftermath of his extensive cravings for her. Yet, with the door to her room swung open and her elbow casually propped up on her desk, Solar smirks at him. "Troubles in dreamland?" She wiggles her eyebrows knowingly, and deftly twirls her lead pencil between her fingers.

Red floods to Jungkook's cheeks. As innocent and good-hearted as Solar is, she can possess a damned dirty mind. "Yeah, but they definitely weren't troubles." He grins and winks suggestively as a method of recovery, and continues onwards to stuff his sheets into the washing machine.

"That's so gross!" Solar's protesting voice barely reaches him from down the hall. Suppressing a snicker, Jungkook dumps a fair amount of detergent into the machine and starts the cycle before hurrying back to his room.

"You started it." Jungkook playfully resumes the conversation while adjusting his mattress. This method of communication is common between them: chatting between the two open doors connecting their rooms.

"I did _not_. I've been innocently studying." Solar stubbornly huffs, and the sound of rapidly flipping pages follows her voice. Jungkook can tell, even without setting his eyes upon her, that she's tapping the eraser of her pencil against her chin impatiently.

"Ooh, studying. What subject?" He inquires, already rummaging in his drawers for his studying materials.

"Calculus. I already understand the material though, so I'll be done soon."

"Really? You _understand_ Calculus?" He gasps, dashing towards her room and peeking his head inside. Resembling a pitiful puppy in need of assistance, he meekly holds up his worn-down black notebook and blinks his round, bunny-like eyes. "Can you tutor me?"

For a second, Solar appears mortified. What kind of monster would she be to turn him down _now_? Just look at those earnest eyes! "I-- Well, Kookie, I mean--"

"Please, Noona?" The endearing nickname is added for extra points in favor of pity. Jungkook definitely loathes the thought of acting cute, but as a hardworking student, he would sell his soul to the devil for free academic assistance. Blinking his eyes and sucking up to his roommate is definitely a good compromise. So _not today_ , Satan.

Solar fidgets for a moment, her leg impatiently bouncing up and down and her lips pouting ever-so-slightly. "...Fine." She shrugs her shoulders, then squints her eyes half-playfully and half-threateningly at him. "But you owe me spicy rice cakes."

"Whenever you decide to order it, I'll pay. Thanks for the free help, Sunshine." Jungkook grins, reaching over to the extra chair in the room. Settling comfortably upon it, he sprawls his notebooks and pencil case across his side of her desk.

"What do you need help with?" Solar gazes upon his messy notes, impatiently tapping the eraser of her pencil against her chin. This adorable habit repeats whenever Solar studies, or whenever a writing utensil makes its way into her hands.

Jungkook endearingly observes her little quirk, before resuming his attention to his notebook. "Second derivative graphs are still killing me. Honestly, it all slipped my mind after highschool."

"Roger that!" Nodding her head, Solar pulls up an example of a second derivative graph and leans in closer to better explain the concept to him. Midst explaining, her hands fly up into the air to demonstrate the mathematical concepts in strange metaphorical ways. While Jungkook is definitely shocked at how closely a travel pillow resembles a parabola or how a cusp resembles an airplane gradually soaring into the air, he is substantially more shocked at how Solar managed to make such connections. As expected, her complex mind operates in many different, endearing ways.

Studying carries on for approximately three hours like so. Cramming study material into his head becomes less of an arduous task when Kim Solar illustrates the mathematic terms with her colorful perspective. Her creativity brings a whole new twist to boring old Calculus, and her face is definitely easy on his tired eyes. While tutoring him, Solar gains sophisticated and bold mannerisms towards her assertion of the material. The newfound animation and passion to her speaking transforms her gestures into those of a confident, sexy woman. Threading her fingers through her long mane of mocha hair and pursing her lips in thought, Solar leans even _closer_ towards Jungkook's hunched form to demonstrate a rather complicated concept. "But if you think about it velocity-wise.." She continues speaking, and yet Jungkook fails to hear every single word of it.

Allowing himself to indulge only slightly, Jungkook's raven eyes flicker upwards to observe Kim Solar's ethereal side-profile. Subconsciously parting his lips in amazement, he gazes upon her sharp chin, the appealing curve of her lips, and the subtle arch of her pondering brow. The greedy, indulging side of him _begs_ to touch her. All it would take is a lift of his hand to explore her smooth porcelain skin, and for her to shudder under his touch. Much to his pleasure, the universe spoils him with a small fraction of his heavy desire. Solar leans closer towards him to highlight a conceptual term, allowing their shoulders to brush together and, more importantly, for their skin to lightly graze against each other.

The greed inside of him immediately spikes. Jungkook gulps, imperceptibly adjusting his posture to feel the graze of her skin against his once more. The stroke is enough to satisfy his cravings, but only by a small fraction. Instead, it instantly transforms him into a hungry, desperate vampire, greedy for any taste of Kim Solar that he may be able to attain. Exhaling restlessly, his glowing red eyes travel across the nape of her pale, slender neck and the delicate arch of her collarbones. _Oh_ , how he desperately yearns to dig his fangs into her flawless skin. In his intense hunger, his eyes flash red, and his head gradually inches closer.. and closer.. and _closer_.. to the nape of her neck, where he would finally pierce her and sip feverishly at her beautiful, unsullied blood.

But Solar's voice abruptly shatters his delusional path to self-destruction, "Simple, right? Do you get i--" and simultaneously halts itself.

The red instantly vanishes from his eyes the moment she gazes at him. Glancing up to her in wonder, he blinks entrancingly, still unable to escape his daze of longing for her taste. Even in their extremely close proximity, breaths mingling and shoulders adjoining, he finds himself unable to pull away. Drunk on his desire to taste her, he remains firmly in his position, simply basking in the sensation of her smooth skin held against his own.

A mien of utter confoundment spreads itself across her delicate features, before being replaced by a bashful bite of her lip. A heavy blush freshly compliments her pretty cheeks, and her breathing becomes slightly more labored. "Um.. J-Jungkook, I.." Her hazel eyes rapidly dart all over his face-- a result of heavy sheepishness.

Hypnotized by her delightfully pleasing expression, Jungkook finds himself unable to resist focusing upon her rosy parted lips. Supple in appearance, it only tempts him further and prompts a hungry lick to his own lips. Weighed down by the allure of his own desire, he inwardly fears the consequences he may face if he feasts upon her now, but makes no conscious effort to stop his reckless actions.

Sensing this impending risk, Solar is forced to make the effort herself. "...Jungkook?" She hesitantly urges again, the red hue on her face only doubling in opacity. A subtle glow in her hazel eyes expects him to close the distance between them, or perhaps do anything that may quench her own yearning.

However, like the impulsive fool that he is, Jungkook soon finds his frantic self-control rushing back. "...S-Sorry." He croaks, and moves away from their close proximity. Leaning back in his chair, he feels an onslaught of heat arising to his cheeks. Overly conscious of the tension he has just created, he reaches for his pencil to resume an academic atmosphere and hopefully alleviate the thick discomfort.

Equally as flustered, Solar brushes a stray lock of mocha hair behind her ear and nibbles her bottom lip. "It's okay." She mutters to his apology, unsure how to perceive his sudden affections. "Um, do you need me to explain that again?"

"I-- yeah. Yes, please. I totally missed all of it." Jungkook, frustrated, scrunches a fist in his hair and flattens his palm on his notebook. "Ugh, I'm so sorry. I got distracted so fast."

Giggling, she shakes her head. "I said it's fine. It doesn't bother me. Just listen carefully this time, okay?" Solar pauses a second to reorganize her scattered thoughts, before repeating her previous words. This time, Jungkook pays attention. But, as he attempts to comprehend the mathematical concepts, he begins to observe other concepts on the sidelines. For example, Kim Solar's newfound subconscious habits: twirling a lock of hair around the bulk of her index finger, adjusting her posture to something much more feminine, and bashfully adjusting the wrinkles in her white hoodie. Solar may have claimed that his intense desire hadn't bothered her, yet the change in her mannerisms suggests the exact opposite.

With a nervous swallow, Jungkook fearfully hopes that ignoring his observations will undo his reckless slip of his appetite.

But the universe has never been forgiving on those who waver.

Changes begin to heavily shape Jungkook's wild future.

At first, they may seem trivial. But when summed together, a terrifying pattern appears.

And you will see it too; these changes were made to be seen.

For the very first change, a week after their study session, Kim Solar has changed her bottle of shampoo in their bathroom to a much more pungent, scented brand. For the second change, rather than adorning her usual hoodies around the apartment, she has resorted to a torturous series of shorts and revealing tanktops. For the third and last habit, her old habits of leaving her clothes scattered on her bed have drastically altered into an extremely clean environment.

And all of this occurred over a short period of three days as a result of Jungkook's inability to control himself.

  
Unfortunately, the changes have still failed to cease.

Even now, Solar is newly attempting to cook spicy rice cakes in their kitchen, with her long locks of mocha hair bundled into a high ponytail atop her head. Adorning her tormenting white tank-top and baby pink shorts, Solar heavily arouses Jungkook's sense of hunger with her heaps of exposed skin and her unprotected neck.

Normally, he would be able to control himself.

But times like this, are when Jeon Jungkook curses his innate sense of heightened smell.

Perhaps the smell comes from Solar's new shampoo-- or perhaps it comes from her natural scent itself. Either way, There's just something so human, so earthy about the smell, that he wants to feel it on his tongue. Driven by the instincts of his body, he advances closer to her, seeking more of Solar's oh-so-heavenly smell wafting amidst the spicy smell of her cooking. Unable to properly stall himself, he closes in on her, his face bordering dangerously close to the exposed section of her sleek neck. In his close proximity, it's almost as if he has her skinny figure trapped underneath his hungry, desperate frame.

And of course, the prey never fails to realize its predator. Turning only slightly, last week's blush floods directly back towards Solar's cheeks. A lovely pink hue replaces her usual milky pale skin, creating the image of an extremely endearing girl, who is simply excited by the prospect of a romance naturally blooming forth. Observing him carefully with her riotous hazel eyes, it's as if Solar is attempting to read into him: to analyze whether or not he feels the same electricity in their heated glances.

Jungkook is breathless, unable to resist all of the intense feelings solidified in the tips of his fingers. The hunger definitely exists. The lust, too, exists: his livid daydreams of peeling away her layers proves all of it. But when he gazes at Solar's defenseless, expectant countenance like this, a third feeling arises that he cannot quite pinpoint. Muddled in the pool of three different versions of desire, his feelings are impossible to discern. Does _romance_ exist somewhere amidst his intense longing for her? Should he really be hovering over her like this, raising her expectations and creating nothing but confusion?

"Jungkook.." Solar begins, powerless from the heat of their mingling breaths, "The way you look at me.." She gasps, breathless despite standing without movement, "There's just too much in your face. How... How am I supposed to feel?"

"....I don't know." Jungkook swallows, hard, and presses forwards, driven by his deepest animal instincts to own her. "How do I make you feel?" He huskily inquires, his gaze unmoving from her timidity. "Tell me. In words." He urges, clenching his fists to suppress his eyes from glowing in hunger.

The insistence rouses her senses and steals her breath away. "Bothered." In many senses of the word. When he sharply observes her like this, she feels bothered. When he leaves the room after a pleasant conversation, she feels bothered. "And weak." In the knees, and partially in the head. Since when has she felt so strongly attached to someone, to where it affects her studies?

"Me too." Jungkook sighs, and suddenly a severe urge to consume her washes over him. He grits his teeth, battling between his morality as a vampire and his raw, within-reach desire. The considerate, human-loving vampire in him begs to resist the temptation of consumption. But the lonely, longing romantic in him begs to sweep Kim Solar off her feet and make her his own.

In the end, the risks are simply too great to decide in a single moment, no matter how passionate.

"...I need to think about this." Jungkook grimaces, his feet naturally guiding him backwards. The separation from Solar's warmth is almost painful, but his societal obligations will not allow him to seek it again. Yet, when he glances up to Solar's pained, disappointed mien, heavy regret pools in his chest. "...I'm sorry." He murmurs, before turning and sprinting to the comfort of his room. Shutting the door firmly behind him and collapsing onto his bed, a sense of clarity still does not return to him.

Burying his face into his pillow, he hopes that comprehensive thoughts will return to him again. He has always been a diligent vegetarian; so why, then, is it so difficult to resist Solar's beaming smiles and ethereal scent? No matter how hard he searches for an answer, nothing comes to him. No matter how hard he attempts to convince himself to remain a vegetarian, he cannot abandon the tempting allure of Solar's lips. No matter how hard he tries, no decision will relieve the suffering of all parties at stake.

And so Jungkook is faced with the ultimate inquiry once more, as a so-called monstrous, evil, no-good vampire:

Would it be selfish of him to place Solar's livelihood at stake, simply to quench his thirst?

But then again, he _is_ a vampire.

And vampires have always been seen selfish, immoral creatures:

No matter what they do.


	5. Stigma #2: Appetite.

Now, with the images of temptation, painful restraint, and obsession clear in your mind, the average vampire's psyche becomes clearer.

And now you understand how cruel the world must be, to oppress a vampire from their natural, innate cravings.

Because all of these horrible traits: the temptation, the restraint, the obsession, everything about these _disgusting_  vampires--- also exist in every single human on planet Earth.

So now your puzzled mind wanders, hoping to connect and rationalize the dots: and suddenly you begin to realize that all vampires _must_ despise humans for their constant hypocrisy.

However, as bizarre as it sounds, an unlucky exception will always exist within the masses.

And Kim Taehyung, a Bloodhopper who firmly _adores_ his human girlfriend, happens to be one of them.

No matter how ignorant nor oblivious his girlfriend may be. No matter how impossible the existence of their relationship remains to be..  
his affections cannot change, nor _will_ they. Not as long as Jung Wheein exists on Earth.

Taehyung doesn't give a horse's ass whether or not they title him as an egotistical Bloodhopper.

Because according to the painful, bitter, and neglected truth: when it comes to sentiment and sacrifice,  
humans--those hypocritical bastards-- are no different to him.

People will always selfishly indulge in their desires, no matter how unreachable.

So mornings with Jung Wheein will always be Taehyung's favorite hours of the day, because nothing and no one can prevent him from pressing soft pecks and gentle strokes to his sleeping girlfriend's lovely cheeks. There is nowhere he would rather be than in the comfort of their bedroom, with their familiar sheer black curtains drawn over their apartment window, providing a faint, comfortable glow of light. The sunlight that penetrates the curtains sprinkles across Jung Wheein's razor-sharp features, providing a radiance that makes her glimmer beautifully. With her cinnamon locks fanned out beside her head and the sunlight highlighting her long eyelashes, she possesses every single trait of a dazzling, glowing angel from heaven. He feels like the luckiest man in the world to be beside her, and especially to be her long-term boyfriend.

Carefully, Taehyung draws their black duvet over her shoulders and presses another loving kiss to her temple. Resting his arm on the hill of her shoulder, he gazes upon her resting face, an affectionate smile spreading across his features. Like every morning, he commences on his five-minute appreciation of her beautiful face. Those long eyelashes, that pointed nose, and those pretty oval lips haven't changed from middle school, where they had first become acquainted. Even then, he considered her a beauty, with her puppy-like eyes and choppy bangs. Allowing his fingers to trail upwards, he brushes her now-long bangs from her face and flinches as she suddenly wiggles her nose. Suppressing a laugh, he snuggles closer to further embrace her resting figure.

"I love you, Wheeinie." He breathes into her hair, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. Although his vampiric tendencies force him to painfully vomit and suffer through a weave of lies, he would gladly live through his torment for the remainder of his life, simply to live happily with her. Because although living and hiding become increasingly difficult, at the end of the day, Jung Wheein will always warmly embrace him and reassure him that they will live together through their struggles, no matter what. Her caring nature, her tender promises, and her upbeat personality are what he strongly loves about her. He, too, wishes to live together forever, even if it means hiding his true nature and spitting out bile three times a day. Physical sacrifices pale in comparison to spending time curled up in bed with the woman he loves more than anything. Taehyung would do everything possible just to keep her by his side like this forever.

"Mmh.." Wheein winces at the rays shining on her face, her nose twitching endearingly. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the tired female instinctively buries her face into the crooks of Taehyung's neck. "Morning, baby." She groggily mutters, the heat of her breath tickling his collarbones. 

"Morning, Kitten." Taehyung hums happily, his hand traveling down to rest on the curve of her waist. In a deep, husky voice, he whispers into her hair, "I have something important to tell you."

"Huh?" Wheein responds quickly, her eyes barely cracking open. "What is it?"

"Kkomo is licking his balls right next to you." He admits, glancing over the rise of his girlfriend's hair to watch their cat, Kkomo, furiously grooming his genitals.

"Pfffffft- what?!" Wheein breaks out into squeaky laughter, leaning her head back to gain a full view of Taehyung's similarly amused grin. "What the hell, Tae?" She plants a firm punch to his upper abdomen, a giggle resounding under her breath. "Let my son lick himself in peace!"

Chuckling loudly, Taehyung calms Wheein's hands in his own and kisses her pale forehead. "Fine. Just because I love you." He whispers, beginning to suffocate her in his tightest of hugs. "My love. My Wheeinie." He hums blissfully.

"Oh? Why are you so clingy today?" She optimistically inquires, her amused voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. "You did something wrong, didn't you? Just tell me, I'll only kick your butt once." She obviously jokes, beginning to struggle in her restrained position.

"I've been clingy for all four of our years together. You think this is any different? Hmph." Taehyung playfully scoffs, only squeezing her tighter. "Maybe you don't love me anymore, that's probably it." He teases, beginning to prod her sides with his fingers.

"Heck no! Lemme go, villain!" Wheein finally pries herself free, breathing in a mouthful of sweet, sweet air. "See, this is why I'm always almost late to work. I can never get out of bed because of you." She projects her tongue out at him teasingly.

"I never said I was stopping you. Go to work, you big puppy." Taehyung chuckles, trailing a finger down her tongue simply to spite her. 

Wheein immediately recoils, making a face of disgust. She wipes the tip of her tongue with her pajama sleeve and fake-gags. "I don't even _have_ work today!"

"Oh, so does that mean we can go on a long date today?!" He hopefully questions, his eyes lighting up brighter than the sun.

"Hah, you wish. _Someone_ ," She shoots him the stink-eye, "keeps clogging up the sink, so we're all out of drain cleaner. I need to go shopping today."

Taehyung's mind flashes back to his regular bouts of vomiting in the sink, before he laughs nervously. "Oh..." Disappointment clouds his features.

"..But I can visit you at work, after all the shopping is done." Wheein blatantly states, with a smug smirk. "Whaddya say?"

Instantly appeased, Taehyung nods his head. "Of course, Kitten. I'll keep a barstool reserved just for you." 

"You'd better!" She jokes, climbing off the bed to conclude their fast-paced conversation.

And so, even as Jung Wheein slipped into casual wear and waved goodbye before heading to the market, Taehyung maintained a wide, eager smile.

Even throughout spending the afternoon at the apartment by his lonesome, Taehyung felt nothing short of absolute anticipation for her arrival.

Even as he slipped on his nightly black button-up and dress pants for work and kissed his two lovely pets goodbye, only excitement was able to linger in his stomach.

But amid his plethora of joy, Taehyung would have never guessed that work could enrage him so fucking **_violently_**.

No; even the regular, tragically obnoxious tolerance of half-conscious drunkards is never enough to provoke him in the slightest. Work as a bartender suggests patience, a calm demeanor, and professionalism: everything that Kim Taehyung just so happens to be lacking at this very moment in time.

Taehyung's entire globe revolves around two very simple factors: warm food straight from its host, and a content, happy Wheein. While it's true that food is a strong, innate factor influencing his life, he can definitely starve for a day without spitting out complaints every three seconds.

But the moment Wheein's safety, contentment, or emotions are infringed upon, _suddenly_ , Taehyung seems to transform into a spiteful, bitter vampire.

Sinners would dub Taehyung's sudden rage as a blooming, lifelong claim on his chosen prey. Wary Bloodhoppers would dub Taehyung's sudden rage as a sinful, disgustingly overpossessive attitude. But Taehyung doesn't need titles nor descriptors determined by those blinded by hypocrisy. He knows exactly what this irritable, all-too-familiar feeling is. He knows of the immense power it holds over his will, even moreso than gut-wrenching hunger. Frowning at the very consideration of it, Taehyung glances up in annoyance,

and sets his sights upon a skimpily-dressed Wheein, with an adjacent man tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

 _Fucking jealousy._ Vexation bubbling in his belly, Taehyung barely manages to contain himself by grasping at the handle of the beer mug in his hands. As much as he would love to rip out the throat of the man hitting on his girlfriend, work jerks him back to reality. If Taehyung fails to remain composed and professional, his job will be at stake. Still, he finds it nearly impossible to still the murderous rage seething in his throat. It almost makes him want to fucking _growl_.

"Hey, refill me." An impatient voice calls out beside him, interrupting off his murderous thoughts.

Ugh, now is _not_ the fucking time. Eyebrows still knitted together in irritation, Taehyung blindly reaches for the waiting customer's empty beer mug. "On it." He grumbles, forcing his eyes onto the clear glass held between his palms. Huffing vehemently, he spins around and pops a new bottle of beer, promptly pouring the frothy dark liquid into the mug in question. "Here." He bluntly declares, nearly slamming the glass down on the counter.

"Geez, why are you so on edge?" Kim Seokjin, a fellow Bloodhopper and regular to the bar, incredulously inquires. He patiently sets down his glass, his pinky serving as cushion. Obviously, his mother taught him very superior table manners. Seokjin emulates everything that a vampire is expected to be nowadays: handsome, polite, and a _very_ convincing actor. Bloodhoppers would murder for his sickeningly convincing smiles. "I thought you would be happier with your girlfriend here."

"Well, I'm not." Taehyung grumbles bitterly. He scrubs the counter with such a force that could snap tables in half instantly. The wax surface shines like never before, creating a platform for Taehyung's resentful countenance to reflect back at him. He scowls at his own features, before spitting on its image and wiping it aside. "Would _you_ be happy if an asshole had his paws all over your girlfriend?"

Seokjin scoffs incredulously, shaking his head. "No, but I don't have a girlfriend. We're  _vampires_ , remember?" He urges on, glancing around him to ensure no humans were listening in. "If it's that big of a problem, just tell him to piss off."

"It's not that easy. I'm on the clock right now." Taehyung shoots him a curt, you're-only-making-things-worse-so-quit-it expression.

"Yeah, and?" Seokjin blinks both eyes fiercely. He twitches his nose slightly-- a general habit-- and sighs. "She has a friend sitting there with her. It's not like your girlfriend is the only vagina in this entire bar."

"Very funny." Taehyung comments with the most deadpan face possible. Shooting a secondary glance in his girlfriend's direction, Taehyung is briefly able to observe Wheein's blonde-headed friend Moon Byulyi, dressed in casual house wear and seated uncomfortably beside her. Meeting Taehyung's eyes briefly, Byul nervously gestures towards Wheein, hoping for some assistance in dealing with their flirtatious issue. 

 _Oh, fine._ Breathing a long, overdue sigh, Taehyung musters up the courage to stroll over to assist. Crossing his arms, he observes the image of a rose-haired, copper-eyed male with one arm slung around his limp, half-drunk girlfriend. "Hey," Taehyung curtly begins, "Paws off the lady."

Cocking one eyebrow upwards in amusement, the bothersome male scoffs. "I didn't know bartenders stick their noses in their customers' business."

"I didn't know pink-haired pieces of trash don't know how to fuck off." Taehyung curses, his electric gaze calling for a battle.

"H-Hey," Wheein begins, her words slightly slurred, "Tae! Don't be a jerk to him!" 

"A jerk-- what?!" Taehyung exclaims in distress.

"She's drunk, you don't need to listen to her." Byul asserts, reaching up to remove the male's hand from her friend's physical form.

"Well, no, you heard the lady." The male defends his position. "You're being a jerk." He exaggerates the syllables with every intention to piss the bartender off. 

Hands twitching in utter aggravation, Taehyung slams his fists against the bar counter. "Goddammit, get your grubby hands off of her!" After stomping around the perimeter of the bar counter, Taehyung vigorously clasps the stranger's wrists and drags him aside. The bar patrons surrounding the commotion gasp and whimper amongst each other, but midst the obnoxious club music and deafening cheers, their surprise is easy to avoid. Taehyung drags the man back to the vicinity of the backroom, where he abruptly releases his restraints and hisses at him. "This is your _last_ fucking warning. You stay away from that girl."

"I don't see why you're so pissed about this. It's pretty common for a guy to pick up girls at a bar." 

"Ugh. Okay, I didn't want to say this, but she's my girlfriend. Stay away from her."

"What?" The man's face contorts into a mix of bewilderment and disgust. "Isn't she a human?"

"Uh, no shit?" Taehyung scowls, throwing his hands up in the air in agitation. 

"And you're a vampire."

"Well, of fucking course, I'm a-- wait." Despair floods through Taehyung's veins. "How did you know that I'm..?" A cold sweat trickles down his back. "I didn't tell you that--"

A nasty grin overtakes the man's features. "I'm a vampire too. It was easy to find out what you were. I can smell blood. It's no mystery that you drag drunk girls into the backroom to eat them."

"How did you--"

"Still, this is a new low. You're dating a _human_? Ugh." The rose-haired man mock-gags, massaging his throat as if bile may truly escape from the sheer disgust. "...Wait," A white flash of fear causes him to step backwards, "You're not a _Sinner_ , are you?"

"What?! No, I'm not!" Taehyung vehemently denies, violently shaking his head. "I've never sipped a single drop from her! How could I?!"

"Well then, why can't I drink from your girlfriend? It's not a big deal. It's just a meal." 

" _Fuck_ no," Taehyung scowls, rushing forward to gather the man's collar in his fists. "She's my girlfriend. I don't think you understand how this works. Touch her and you're dead meat."

"A vampire dating a human and not eating from them? What, are you dense? Just _look_ at her." The man argues, guiding Taehyung's attention towards Wheein's seated figure at the bar. Her long mane of cinnamon hair, her sweet honey eyes, and her black tube top that hugs her voluptuous figure are enough to make any man head over heels. But Taehyung doesn't only see a walking pillar of sex appeal. He sees his future in her: that bright shining smile, that brilliant mind, and that sharp jawline that Taehyung wants all of his children to inherit. The moment he begins to imagine a beautiful future with her, the stranger by his side interrupts him with an elbow to the ribcage. "Stop making goo-goo eyes at her." He urges, then continues onwards with his point. "Keep looking."

Obediently, Taehyung's chestnut eyes continue to feast on his girlfriend's brilliant image.

"Don't tell me you don't see the hottest walking meal you've ever seen." The stranger's voice resounds beside his ear, like a devil luring him with the embodiment of temptation itself.

Taehyung has trained himself throughout the years not to regard Jung Wheein as a meal, but tonight, the lull of appealing words has roped him in entirely. Gaze affixed to Wheein permanently, he observes the same sharp jawline he has always known. But a part of him calls out differently. No longer is he innocently fantasizing about sweetly planting a kiss upon her jaw; he wishes to smooth his tongue along its edge, moving onwards to bite and suckle on her ear as his lips move down to the stunning, magnificent structure of her neck. He would tenderly caress her breast, indulging in the sinful feel of her body, before ultimately parting his lips and viciously digging his fangs into her skin, all mercy beastfully thrown aside from his instinctive behavior.

"Fuck--" Taehyung barely manages to rope himself back from his guttural fascinations, "Get away from me, asshole!" He steps away from the danger of raw desire. "I _won't_ hurt her like that!"

"Well, that's your loss." The man chuckles, advancing enough for his lips to reach Taehyung's unwilling ears. "But if I could impart some wisdom upon you," He whispers, eyes glinting with amusement, "I'd say you should suck every last drop out of her skinny body."

"Wha--"

"Let's coexist peacefully. I'll stay away from her. Also, my name isn't Asshole. It's Hoseok. Pleasure doing business." Patting Taehyung's shoulder casually, Hoseok struts away. He returns to the dim bar counter and slips an arm around a wary Byul, his face displaying a smile that mimics bright sunshine itself. Such a dirty liar.

Rubbing the back of his neck in exhaustion, Taehyung leans against the wall. It would be rational to return to the bar by now, but setting his eyes upon Wheein, he finds himself unable to. It isn't as if Taehyung has never fantasized about drinking Wheein's blood before-- he certainly _has_. Long nights that he spends away from the apartment are generally spent to recollect his control. But those trips have occurred less and less lately, along with the urge to consume his own lover. He fears they may be returning, as the image of Wheein's blood on his tongue poisons his brain even further. Taehyung grits his teeth, starvation and cravings crashing together to create a god-awful wave of _desperation_ to eat. Swiping a bead of sweat away from his forehead, he attempts to control himself, only to feel himself salivating excessively. All of the human scents in the room crash into his nose at once, tempting him to _just throw it all away and fucking eat._ His body begs him to satiate this hunger, to profanely force himself upon Wheein, or to do _fucking_ anything that will make this agonizing, insufferable, and unbearable appetite disappear.

So he finally gives up.

His free will is tossed aside like moldy cheese into the trash. Taehyung sets his sights upon a lone, twirling female at the edge of the dance floor, 

and swipes her away from her place of enjoyment, simply to satisfy his own selfish, desperate needs.

Her screams are louder than Taehyung is willing to tolerate. Frantically shoving her figure into the backroom, he slams the door shut and tackles her squirming figure to the floor. Towering over her like a looming shadow, he forcibly pins her wrists against her head, his eyes glowing red and drool dripping from his mouth like a feral animal. "Oh god, somebody help!! A vampire!" The poor female screeches and thrashes, her efforts futile against the rowdy surroundings of a nightclub. Her eyes, shining with fear, barely glance at his greedy face before she squeezes them shut in horror. "Pl-Please, don't do this!! Why are you doing this?!"

The image of this woman, squirming and flailing in desperate pursuit of her life, turns Taehyung on immensely. Not because he has evolved into some sick, sadistic bastard, but because he projects the idea of Wheein onto her miserable form. Sweet, beautiful Wheein, with her collar popped open, legs secured firmly around his waist, ready to accept all of his desires. Shuddering in pure gratification at the idea, Taehyung is able to wait no longer. He indulges in his guilt, using an innocent woman as his vessel: by cupping a commanding hand over her lips to silence her, cutting through her skin with his fangs, and sucking feverishly at her unsullied blood.

Taehyung doesn't keep track of how much blood he consumes.

In fact, he doesn't keep track of _anything_ : not the time, nor the possibility of anyone walking in. Had he even locked the door? None of those thoughts seem to hold any matter to him. All that consumes his mind is the satisfaction streaming down his throat, and the violently passionate desires that disappear with every single gulp.

But they don't disappear for a very, very long time. 

Taehyung's prey had fainted long, long ago. She hadn't died, but the blood loss had forced her consciousness to flicker away, stolen away by a greedy man she barely knows. 

Taehyung finally breaks away from her neck once his stomach will accept no more and when his cravings for Wheein have been falsely quenched. Allowing his mind to relax in serenity, he rests his forehead against the unmoving body underneath him, trails of blood staining his face and neck from the awfully messy feasting. But he doesn't care. Nothing matters now, but the wave of peace that always seems to follow his instinctive feasting.

That is, until the door to the backroom swings open.

And Jung Wheein gasps in horror, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

"Taehyung?! What are you doing?!"

"K-Kitten! I can explain, I--!"

The hunger has subsided.

 _But his desires and their consequences have not_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for any confusing terminology. :) Because there has been such a long gap inbetween chapter posts (sorry about that!), if you forget any terms specific to the story, I'll start adding a little glossary at the end. Thanks for reading!! Feedback is always appreciated. ^^  
> \----------  
> -Bloodhopper: A vampire who always feasts upon different prey.   
> -Loyal / Sinner: A vampire who feasts upon one singular prey. Often frowned upon by other vampires.  
> -Inbetween: A vampire who feasts upon a fixed group of prey.


	6. Worthless #2: Intoxication.

By now, the excruciating frustration of abstaining from blood should be all too clear to you.

Blood, in all of its complex simplicity, takes a harmless appearance. Some people even find a certain _beauty_ within these glistening droplets of warm, crimson liquor. To a vampire, this beauty beckons them-- _seduces_ them through the shining colors alone. As poetic as the notion seems to be, the utter desire is only the epitome of hell itself. Imagine being hungry-- unbearably so-- and only  one drink can satiate your painful, uncontrollably animalistic cravings. This drink is your liquid opium, your method to cope, your fuel to a wildfire of addiction that only roars to life the more you obsessively attempt to ease the pain. This drink is your pleasure through power, as sweet ambrosia is, to the greedy, luxurious gods in Olympus. This drink, no matter how many nights you spend cooped up underneath your tear-stained covers, will neverendingly force you to taste its irresistible pang on your trembling, yet gluttonous tongue.

_Now, imagine you must suck the life out of your only loved one to get it._

And such is the hellish pain that Min Yoongi is forced to endure during every waking moment of his miserable life.  
Despite his convincing claims, it will always be his strongest insecurity-- his shameful Achilles' heel.

"Why haven't you left me yet?" Every single night, he utters the same damn question. The insecurity, the hopelessness, the fear rest entirely on his weary shoulders, until his feeble body can no longer stand it, and forces him onto his desperate knees. No matter how much reassurance Byul may offer him: the breathtaking kisses, the endless laughter, the passionate sex-- nothing will ever convince him that their relationship will last past an eternity.

Because, after all, his grave is only dug deeper and deeper the more he feasts on her divine taste.  
  
Like a haunting shadow that he cannot escape, Yoongi's cravings climb higher and higher. A year into the feasting, he indulged in her blood once a week. Two years into the feasting, twice a week. Three years into the feasting, **_once every two days_**.

But how do you suggest he controls a rapidly evolving addiction?

Because, an evolutionary reason exists; a reason that gradually culminated into bitter results where Loyals like Yoongi have become permanently branded as **Sinners**.  
Strictly enforced and deemed socially taboo, the downwards-spiralling addiction is only something to be vigorously frowned upon, even by nature's sour principles.

_But why?_

Even at first glance, Moon Byulyi could not have possibly estimated the exponential rise of Yoongi's cravings for her blood, and his accelerated drive towards his downfall.

It had all started so innocently.  
Their relationship was no different from any average bond between two people: they had been introduced to each other by mutual friends, Taehyung and Wheein. Although Byul had never initially suspected Yoongi to be a vampire, during class, she would constantly feel his eyes glued to the back of her head. She had mistaken his attention as a sign of hidden affections, and had taken the efforts to amorously bicker with him whenever possible. At times, despite her flirtatious efforts mimicking the methods of a sleazy old man (as kindly phrased by Wheein), Yoongi had humorously responded to her with every sign of mutual attraction. Naturally, like any normal relationship _should_ , the pair had started dating based on their romantic chemistry alone.

The first year of their romantic relationship had been the most thrilling of them all. Those very first steps had engulfed her whole heart into his universe: the careful caress of his rough and veiny hands, his soft kisses, his warm voice whispering solace into her neck as he eased his fangs in for the first time. Byul had never been one to discriminate against vampires, especially not those with good intentions. So when Yoongi embraced her underneath the covers of his bed and murmured a grave confession about his identity, she had accepted him wholeheartedly. He hadn't believed her, and who could blame him? For the sake of someone who barely loved himself, Byul had uttered a devout promise to earn his intimate trust by showering him with her devoted love.

And the most effective method, in her young, love-blinded eyes, was to give him her most raw form of purity.

_"I-I've never done this before, but... I... want you to take my first time. Please, Sugar."_

Without a single doubt in his shining grey eyes, Min Yoongi had assented.

_"You won't regret this," He breathlessly promised, underneath a shaky whisper._

And she definitely hadn't.

However, unlike the stories foolishly aired on television, their first time having sex had been bitterly painful. Both parties were teenagers with utterly no prior intimate experiences, and their first efforts together had been dwindled down to a nervous, uncomfortable groping of each others' bodies. Their wet kisses had been horribly sloppy, and a frightful eternity passed by before Byul had finally parted her bare, trembling legs to allow his cock inside of her. Even then, his entrance had been too dry-- and much too rough-- that Byul had screamed, the thick blood from her lost virginity trickling down her thighs and her fingernails digging violently into the bedsheets underneath them. Yet amidst the pain, she had squeezed her eyes shut to entrust her full self to him. But the innocent, trusting Byul had not known the full extent of a vampire's animosity. Though she may have initially attempted to wiggle towards freedom, one glance of Yoongi's animalistic, blood red eyes twinkling above her had sedated her immediately, and forced her to unconditionally surrender herself to his insatiable will.

Perhaps that had been the start of her irreversible mistake.

Ever since then, Yoongi's hunger for Byul had only spiked exponentially. Over the years, Byul had grown accustomed to the passionate late-night feedings and the desperate hunt for her veins. Truly, for the many months since their journey of producer versus predator, Byul had not properly acknowledged the danger nor the horrendous possibilities of Yoongi's devotion to her blood.

Nothing particularly significant had occurred for Byul to fully acknowledge her situation. Like any other old habit, the concept rested in the shadows of her thoughts. However, in due time, her occasional observations shone a light upon these nagging thoughts; particularly the times when Yoongi desperately forces himself upon her in public places, the times when he collapses from exhaustion straightafter feasting, and the times when he nearly vomits even at the faintest whiff of another human's blood.

Under those cursed circumstances, Byul has found herself worrying ceaselessly about Yoongi's soaring dependency on her body.

Unfortunately, when Byul worries, she has formulated the habit to drown out all her thoughts with alcohol.

Thankfully, she has plenty of friends and acquaintances who regularly agree to visit the bar together.  
One of them, happens to be Jung Wheein: a playful gal of twenty-two, and a very close friend of hers.

"Hey, Wheein?" Byul casually inquires, her phone clamped between her shoulder and ear, "Wanna meet up for a drink?"

"Wow, you couldn't have chosen a better time!" Wheein's squeaky voice cheerfully responds from the phone. "I promised Tae that I would visit his work tonight. I just got dressed to go. Wanna tag along?"

"Hell yeah, I do!" Byul responds brightly, already fumbling in her desk for her keys. "I'd better not be a third-wheeler, though."

"Ha, you won't. Oh but wait, what about Yoongi?" Wheein innocently questions, until her voice suddenly turns mischievous, "Not bringing your precious _Sugar_ along with you?"

"He's terrified of crowds, you know that."

"Well yeah, but why?"

Byul internally panics, her mind flashing back to their first visits to the night club. During their third gathering, Taehyung had feasted upon some poor girl in the backroom, and Yoongi had found the scent of her blood to be absolutely repulsive. While he dashed off to the restroom to vomit, Wheein had dangerously questioned about the erratic behavior, and from thereon, Yoongi agreed to avoid Taehyung's permanent feeding grounds in a hush-hush attempt to masquerade their true identities from Wheein.

"Just-- he's an introvert. Crowds scare him off." Not entirely a lie.

"I shoulda known. That guy's a sloth in human skin." Wheein grunts helplessly, as if the concept was plain common sense.

"..Right." Byul chuckles, humored by the irony within Wheein's honest opinion of him, "See you at the bar, Crazy."

"See you at the bar, Hypocrite." Wheein giggles, before the call is cut short.

Gathering her keys in one hand and her wallet in the other, Byul prepares to leave for yet another drunken evening at the nightclub. Although Wheein constantly nags her to dress appropriately in a flashy dress for such a hyper event, Byul has always been a conservative woman. Plain faded denim jeans, a black tee, and a casual blazer are plenty enough to compliment her long blonde locks and see-through bangs. Besides, this outing is solely intended for drinking-- not for flirting amongst the crowd.

After forcing Yoongi to promise not to wait up for her and receiving a supportive kiss to the cheek, Byul embarks on her drive to the nightclub. Conveniently, the building is close by, and upon parking her car, she immediately catches sight of a familiar brunette energetically waving from the entrance. The reuniting of these two friends is rather loud and full of disruptive cackling, so the pair decided to move the party into the building. The flashing colored lights and blaringly loud music of the night life never fails to rattle Byul's eardrums. The smell of pungent sweat and cheap off-brand perfume lingers in the air, prompting Byul to squeeze her nostrils shut and hurry away from the crowds. Immediately claiming a seat at the bar, Byul happily waves to Taehyung, whose slicked-back hair and pitch-black work attire never fail to withdraw a giggle from her. "You look like a damn butler." She teases, using the same comparison as the last five hundred times.

"Ha. Very funny." Taehyung almost sarcastically remarks, setting down the wet mug in his hands. "I think I know the answer, but I'll ask anyway: what's your thunder?"

"The usual standard beer. You know me." Byul grins cheekily.

"Right on it; after I dry off this mug." Taehyung nods, then turns to his girlfriend, "And for my beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, talented, Kitten; I prepared for you in advance." Taehyung flutters his eyelashes at a skimpily-dressed Wheein, who happens to be sporting a rather revealing black tube-top. Reaching for a pre-made drink on the counter, he then slides the glass across the surface towards her skillful hand.

"Wow, that's..." Byul side-eyes Wheein's bold, heavily alcoholic drink. "Are you sure about-"

"I kinda feel like getting hammered." Wheein hums, grasping the drink and flicking her long mane of cinnamon brown locks behind her. "I didn't have work today, so relaxing is important!" Following a short bout of ecstatic cheers, Wheein gulps down the alcohol in one swallow and loudly congratulates herself on the feat.

Watching her in amusement, Byul makes a mental reminder to get herself mindlessly drunk as well. Just a minute or two passes before Taehyung serves Byul's beer directly to her hands, and the natural brew fizzes pleasantly on the way down her throat. A few drinks later, and Byul strangely finds herself unable to feel buzzed. Her vision is still pristine clear, the world isn't spinning, and her decision-making doesn't seem so impaired. How else will she drown out her incessant worries for Yoongi, if beer won't settle the concern?

Looking to her right, Byul lifts an eyebrow at an extremely loopy Wheein, whose head drunkenly bobs with every beat of the music. Breaking out into a grin, Byul reaches out to shake some coherence into her friend, before suddenly, _a flash of rose-colored hair_ impedes her view. "What the--" Byul flinches, leaning back in her seat to gain a better view of the unforeseen situation.

"Hey there, pretty!" A rose-haired, copper-eyed male with a blinding smile sneaks an arm around Wheein's shoulder, his high cheekbones only lifting higher. "Got an extra space for me?"

Immediately, Byul furrows her eyebrows, attempting to pass inner judgment on this male. Judging from his university hoodie, he is interpreted to be of similar age to them. His well-groomed hair, clean-shaven face, and naturally upturned lips exude the impression that he is a good-natured and genuine fellow, with pure intentions of flirting with a girl at a bar. So why, then, does Byul feel such a heavy burden of unease about his foolproof demeanor and common zeal?

"Ohhhhh, hi!" Wheein drunkenly slurs, unable to rationally pass judgments between positive and negative in her state. "Yep yep! Got another-- oooooh wait, nononono, haha, funny, you're funny! Actually, I have a boyf--"

"No need to explain, I've got all night for someone so pretty." The stranger beams at Wheein, reaching forwards to swipe her hair behind her ear.

 _Oh, great. This guy's a jackass who can't take a hint._ Rolling her eyes, Byul inwardly begins to piece together an elaborate plan to retrieve her friend from the situation. Unfortunately for her, however, the alcohol seems to be gradually setting in. Her vision blurs, but only slightly- yet the change is enough to make her brain acutely throb. _Ugh._ It would be best to seek Taehyung's assistance to fend the pink-headed stranger off. Making eye-contact with him, Byul nervously gestures towards Wheein, hoping for some assistance in dealing with their flirtatious issue.

Taehyung breathes a long, overly-extended sigh, as if mustering up the courage to stroll over. Finally, he forces himself to approach his drunk girlfriend and the stranger whose hands are becoming much too friendly. "Hey," Taehyung curtly begins, "Paws off the lady."

Cocking one eyebrow upwards in amusement, the bothersome male scoffs. "I didn't know bartenders stick their noses in their customers' business."

"I didn't know pink-haired pieces of trash don't know how to fuck off." Taehyung curses, his electric gaze calling for a battle.

"H-Hey," Wheein begins, her words slightly slurred, "Tae! Don't be a jerk to him!"

"A jerk?! What?!" Taehyung exclaims in distress.

"She's drunk, you don't need to listen to her." Byul asserts, reaching up to remove the male's hand from her friend's physical form. Inwardly, she finds herself grateful that she hadn't confronted this issue on her own accord. The stranger seems to be much more two-faced than she assumed.

"Well, no, you heard the lady." The male defends his position, his hand unmoving. His cold copper eyes dig right into Taehyung's chestnut eyes, as if challenging him to a duel. "You're being a jerk." He exaggerates the syllables with every intention to piss the bartender off.

Hands twitching in utter aggravation, Taehyung slams his fists against the bar counter. "Goddammit, get your grubby hands off of her!" After stomping around the perimeter of the bar counter, Taehyung vigorously clasps the stranger's wrists and drags him aside. The bar patrons surrounding the commotion gasp and whisper amongst each other, but midst the obnoxious club music and deafening cheers, Byul finds it easy to zone them out. What a damn mess. Perhaps she should really cut down on the nightclub visits, after all.

Glancing over to Taehyung's private confrontation, it seems no further assistance is required. Geez, how tiring. Byul desperately hopes that more alcohol can drown out the multiplying drama around her. Reaching across the bar counter, Byul snatches Wheein's remaining half of her heavily alcoholic beverage. "Payment for stressing me out with your gullible ass." Byul grumbles, sipping the liquid delicately.

"Heehee. I feel higher than a horse on steroids right now." Wheein giggles, fanning herself to reduce the red on her skin.

"You don't even use drugs. Also, that's a weird comparison. You psycho drunk." Byul snickers, reaching over to ruffle the female's hair.

"Heeey, Byul." Wheein switches the subject quickly, her eyes beginning to droop. "How's Yong-- Shit, fuck, I mean-- How's Solar Unnie holdin' up?"

Byul gasps incredulously. "You are _so_ lucky she isn't here right now. She would have kicked your butt."

"Her name change is hard to remember." Wheein whimpers, resting her head upon the pristine bar counter. "Just answer the dumb question."

Byul scoffs, gazing down at the gracefully-shaped glass in her hands."She went back to college after the incident. Found herself a new apartment. Moved in with some random dude to pay rent."

"Oh. Dang." Wheein snorts humorously, straightening in her seat. "I needa pee. I'm gonna go find Taehyung." She hops off her barstool, barely able to stand correctly. "See ya later, Alligator."

"I don't understand why you need to find Taehyung to pee, but okay." Byul grins, making a mental note to narrate this moment to a sober Wheein. She keeps a protective eye over her close friend amongst the crowd, only to have her sight impeded by a rose-haired stranger once more. Except, this time around, the confidence and bright demeanor has returned to his countenance. Man, this guy..

"Anything I can do for a pretty, lonely face?" The man hops onto Wheein's stool and slips an arm around a wary Byul, his face displaying a smile that mimics bright sunshine itself.

Byul's observant eyes blare straight through his lying facade, but she decides to converse with him. Might as well, considering her bar buddy is drunk to the point of incoherence. "Well, not after you just drooled all over my friend back there." Byul takes a casual sip of her drink. "Plus, you seem dangerous. Like.. a wolf prowling on defenseless prey."

"Well yes, I know a troubled face when I see one. I have experience. Sue me." With a shining smile unbefitting of his rather sinister words, the man cocks his head sideways. "I'm Hoseok. Ramble away about your troubles. My ears are all yours."

"...I'm Byulyi. Just call me Byul." She warily mumbles, sipping her alcohol even more to numb her discomfort. "My troubles aren't terrible. I'm just.. worried, because there's something in my life that is becoming dangerous." She sighs, eyes transfixed upon the rippling surface of the alcohol. "I know it's bad. I know I should make an effort to stop it before it's too late. Every time I come here, I don't want to worry about it. I... I just want to forget it." Hypothetical images of Yoongi driven insane through hunger sends a shiver down her spine. "That's all I want to do. Just forget."

"Huh." Hoseok hums amusedly, his gentle hand moving to pat her shoulder. "Hey, there are things we all come here to forget. No need to feel guilty." With a blinding smile befitting that of an angel, he lifts his shotglass. "Let's toast together, then."

Byul observes his features for a few seconds, unsure how to interpret her own judgment of this guy. Just a minute ago, she found him to be a hindrance, but now, he suddenly seems to be a kind, reassuring person. Perhaps it's the alcohol kicking in? That would make sense; the buzz and the leaping vision have kicked in. "....Fine. It's a toast." Finally breaking into a smile, she clinks their glasses together and gulps down the remainder of Wheein's drink.

 _That was most definitely a mistake._ The two resume their meaningful conservation, and much to Byul's delight, Hoseok is an excellent conversationalist, perfect listener, and a very competent comedian. Just by speaking her mind to him, all of Byul's worries dissipate into thin air, as if her wrongdoings have been purged. However, much to her dismay, the alcohol punches her in the face much too soon. Although their conversations are hilariously entertaining, much of it is meaningless, as the blurry memory of their exchange disappears immediately after her words are spoken. Soon, Byul finds herself holding her throbbing head within her hands to support her bobbing head and lurching vision. All coherent thoughts become inaccessible. Everything has become an incredibly scary blur.

"Urgh... Hoseok.. listen, I--" Byul attempts to drunkenly formulate words. "I think I should--- ugh.." She weakly massages her throat to prevent and bile from escaping. "Home.. I should go-- I.."

"Shhh..." Strangely gentle hands surround her, guiding her to her unstable feet and providing support. "I'll take good care of you, Byul." A voice distantly reminds her, but Byul finds herself unable to respond any longer. "Just let go."

Her consciousness gradually fades.  
The last thing she recalls is being swept off her feet, one arm supporting her slim legs and one arm underneath her stiff back.

When her consciousness returns in small bits, even then, focusing becomes an incredibly arduous attempt for her. Byul is barely able to interpret her current situation; she is laying on her back, shrouded in pitch black darkness. Underneath her, she feels the familiar touch of bedsheets, and chilly air sweeping across her.. bare chest? She must be at home with Yoongi, then. Shuddering, her weak arms feel around for the presence of a blanket. All she desires is warmth, and a good nine hours of sleep to combat this violently swirling vision and brutal nausea.

Just as Byul's fingers grasp onto a piece of fabric, her wrists are grasped by one hand and pinned above her head. "What.. are you doing...?" She is barely able to croak amongst her intoxication. "Yoongi.."

Before an answer is rightfully provided, suddenly, fangs are dug into her neck. Hissing in pain, Byul jolts and tenses up. Soft lips clamp around her fresh wounds, sucking and sucking away at her taste. Byul furrows her eyebrows, prepared to angrily reprimand him, before a surge of sudden arousal shoots down her spine. Something about this situation-- perhaps the alcohol or the gentle physical touch-- has intensified her desire greatly. "O-Oh god, more..." She moans, as his tongue explores her neck. In her drunk, truthful state, she wraps her arms and legs around him, moaning, "..Shit, give me more! Make me feel so fucking good that I forget!"

A husky sigh resounds against her collarbone, before an adventurous hand digs underneath the comfort of her faded jeans. His hand strokes her sensitivity, prompting a guttural moan to escape her alcohol-ridden breath. Byul makes every effort possible to clumsily wiggle out of her jeans and underwear, allowing herself to thrust her hips forward against his skillful hand. Tonight, Yoongi's touch is so gentle, so deliberate-- Byul finds herself dripping wet simply by his fingernails grazing her sensitivity.

Soon, the foreplay is cut short, and two fingers ease into her hot sensitivity. Byul moans louder, feeling more aroused than ever before. He pumps his fingers into her, alternating between sinfully fast and tantalizingly slow. The alcohol allows Byul to follow her base animal instincts, and very soon, she finds herself addicted to the feel of his fingers. Thrusting with all of her will against his hands, and throwing her head back in utter bliss, she moans at a volume she hadn't thought herself capable of. Yoongi's tongue begins exploring her breasts and her collarbone, before two fangs dig into her shoulder, adding fuel to Byul's raging fire. Feeling herself edging further and further to orgasm, she screams, "Yes, fucking yes, Sugar! Yoongi!" before sweet climax is provided to her, at the mercy of Yoongi's strangely skillful touch.

Collapsing back onto the pillows, Byul takes a moment to capture her breath. "I want... I want you inside me." She breathlessly huffs, her legs guiding his waist between her thighs. A moment of silence follows, forcing Byul to beg for the pleasure that awaits at his fingertips. "Please, Sugar. What's stopping you?"

He lightly sighs, but the sound of his pants unzipping quickly follows. "Fine." An unfamiliar voice grumbles, and the rustling of clothes nearly overwhelms the sound of his low voice, "This 'Yoongi' won't know a damn thing, anyway."

Byul, in her mind-disabling intoxication, is barely able to interpret the first word of his sentence before his cock is pushed into her sensitivity. Suddenly, all else becomes irrelevant, and Byul's dizzy mind is only able to focus on the carnal pleasure that comes from the force of his thrusts. She surrenders herself to the lust, all rationality and true consciousness thrown aside from her current acts of greed.

So then, with the summation of all her wrongdoings and intoxication,  
Byul is unable to remember any further details of that tumultuous night.

And even if she could, she would shamefully prefer _not_ to remember the truth she had awoken that night:  
the truth that **Sinners aren't the only ones capable of sinning.**

Humans, too, are able to sin in their own right.

And the consequences will be **_equally as shameful_**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sorry for the late chapter updates! T_T Exam month is coming up, and I haven't found much time to write. But thank you for the patience! If you get some deja vu from this chapter: Byul's scene with Hoseok overlaps Taehyung's scene with Hoseok from the last chapter. Some lines were recycled, but overall the content is much different. :D Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you thought of the chapter so I can improve! :)  
> \----------  
> -Bloodhopper: A vampire who always feasts upon different prey.  
> -Loyal / Sinner: A vampire who feasts upon one singular prey. Often frowned upon by other vampires.  
> -Inbetween: A vampire who feasts upon a fixed group of prey.  
> -Bloodhopping Plague: A plague launched upon the human population when vampires were first introduced and were unable to control their hunger.


	7. Begin #3: Euphoria?

Now, the topic of sinning has become a system of blaming within our society.

But first, what determines the definition of a sin?  
Is it the emotional trauma? The religious assertion? The invisible puppet play by a divine power?

More importantly: _what exactly is a sin?_

According to a popularized and widely accepted dictionary, a sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.

Unfortunately, the laws of _divinity_ do not apply to a brutal species conceived entirely by _nature_.

In this developed, present day, _a sin is an act that may lead to any endangerment to the human species._

Why else would a sin be frowned upon so vigorously by humans, other than a frantic desire for survival?

When all is said and done, humans all possess a common greed for a healthy survival—in other words, **gluttony** for an extended lifespan away from injury.

Yet, humans are not alone in their sins.  
Gluttony is a common weakness within all animals.

But Jeon Jungkook is no wild animal.

True, he has gone through great lengths to resist the temptation of his roommate's blood.  
But his painful cravings for Kim Solar are far from gluttonous.  
For he has not been granted the bliss of **indulgence** : the satisfaction of fresh, warm blood to quench his bodily needs.  
This insufferable feeling tingling within his trembling fingers is a product of his neglected thirst, which had festered for years, forever left unsatisfied.

Thus, despite the agony sizzling in his gut, he absolutely _refuses_ to comply with his hunger.  
He _will_ contain his thirst,  
he _will_ discipline his body,  
he _will_ remain loyal to his beliefs,  
and he _will_ nurture Kim Solar properly, even if he must expel his fangs with his two bare fucking hands to do it.

Fuck the temptation. Fuck his vampire roots.  
When Jungkook recollects the memory of Solar innocently gazing at him, his heart throbs. How could he have been such a monster? He had allowed his hunger to cast a veil over his eyes. He had allowed his hunger to tempt him with sick, twisted fantasies of feasting upon his cheerful, bright-spirited roommate.

Sighing, he buries his face into his pillow as the realistic fantasies flood back into his mind.

Daydreams. They were only daydreams.  
Yet in every single one, Jungkook had succumbed to the greed aching in his fingertips.

It all felt too real. The fantasy of Kim Solar at the mercy of his will had hypnotized him and had seized the last of his control. The image of Solar knelt at his feet, collar popped open, and eyes beckoning with desire had forced shackles on his final senses of restraint. The image of Solar delicately plucking away her thin layers, one by one, to reveal her beautiful landscapes of skin and the droplets of sweat trickling down the curve of her breasts had been utterly impossible to resist. "Take me," She would breathlessly beg, her sharp fingernails digging into the fabric of his pants, "No one will ever know." Jungkook's dreams had offered him the power of domination without consequences and he had consistently accepted the devil's call, like the lost, bloodthirsty fool that he is. _This is only a dream_ , he would console himself. Though his fangs may penetrate her skin and his hands may venture her body, _none of it is real_.

Nothing except for the desire, that is.

And the guilt. Definitely the fucking gut-twisting guilt.

Ultimately, past all of the lust and the yearning to venture her skin with his tongue, Jungkook realizes that Kim Solar is much more than an object to quench his thirst.

Solar is a humorous girl, who enjoys ruthlessly launching all of her skills against him when they play intense games together. Solar is a generous girl, who will offer him her school utensils and laundry detergent whenever he finds himself in need. Solar is a caring girl, who will ceaselessly inquire about his wellbeing or scold him for slacking off on schooldays. Solar is a damn _dork_ , who laughs like a dolphin when he cracks stupid jokes, and screeches like a seagull when he wins against her in a game tournament.

Jungkook is moved into a smile against his pillow, resisting the urge to chuckle. Just the thought of her benevolent, lively demeanor is enough to provoke laughter from him. Closing his eyes, he allows the happy thoughts of her to consume his weary mind. The empty ringing of the silence in the room resounds in his ears, consoling him of the fact that the universe and Kim Solar will remain unchanging, regardless of his idiotic self this past month.

Just as the stillness ropes him into a sleepy daze, suddenly, footsteps—well, more like the soft thuds of fuzzy socks—resound on the opposite side of the door. Stiffening slightly, Jungkook lifts his head from his pillow, hoping that the adjustment in altitude will sharpen his hearing. While he definitely yearns to know what Solar is doing, he does not possess the courage to investigate himself—especially not after the earlier tension he created by hovering over her small figure.

Conveniently, Jungkook is able to hear the squeaking of the bathroom door swinging on its hinges, presumably by her will. Several footsteps follow suit, before the familiar sound of rushing water completely replaces the comfortable silence. The dull swishing tone of toothbrush fibers echoes in the hollow bathroom space, essentially teasing Jungkook with Solar's entirely typical existence on the opposite side of his damned door. 

Jungkook wonders what type of facial expression she must be sporting now. Is it one of disappointment? Irritation? Exhaustion? Perhaps... sadness? His inner nosy self produces the urge to peek for himself, and he allows it. Meticulously, Jungkook unlocks the doorknob and swings the door open with such a gentle force to prevent any creakage from occurring. Exhaling in relief at his success, he steels himself and peeks his head out from the small empty space. 

Squinting his eyes to adjust to the brightness amidst the dark, finally, Jungkook is able to behold Solar's casual form. Standing wilted in front of the bathroom sink, Solar brushes her teeth with robotic, almost lifeless movements. The mirror reflects her long-awaited expression: a dazed one, littered with _pain_ as she gazes at her own features. She breathes a sigh, swiping a hand through her long mocha locks and observing the details of her distressed face. "Geez..." She whispers under her breath, almost inaudibly. 

Guilt twists around Jungkook's guts once again. He inhales sharply, ambushed with the urge to apologize. How could he upset such a bubbly spirit so heavily? He wants to lift her spirits. He wants to exist as the cause of her smiles, not the cause of her pain. He wants to continue joking with her. He wants to continue as the man who brought blushes to her stunning face and made her heart pound, despite all odds being against them.

But are his desires truly possible, when vampire blood streams through his veins?

Jungkook shakes his head and emerges from the shadow of his dim room. Perhaps their future together cannot become true. But does it matter? Perhaps all of his struggles are futile. The racing heartbeat, the suppressed appetite, the mind-boggling lust—if Jungkook had been human, all of these animal instincts would be _normal_.

So why should his own genetics bother him?  
Everything Jungkook feels in his heart is real.

Advancing forward, he keeps his eyes fixated on the image of Solar's body. He sighs at the sight of her perfect, pinched-in waist and her round, shorts-clad bottom bent over the bathroom counter, all for his eyes to drink in. Shaking his head once more, he focuses on her dainty shoulders instead, which loosely sport a white tank-top. The thin shoulder strap allows for a delicious overview of her smooth skin and the appetizing curve of her neck. Suddenly, Jungkook seems to be distracted from his main objective. As he approaches her from behind, billions of thoughts pass through his mind. How easy would it be to sink his fangs in at this moment? How easy would it be to forget all of the consequences, and to satisfy his every lingering desire? He has always craved to understand what blood tastes like directly from its source. All he needs to do to obtain life's wine is to open his mouth and dig his fangs into her fragile neck. Taking the last few steps to approach her, he reaches up to grasp her shoulders. Allowing his rough hands to smooth across her skin, he shuts his glowing red eyes and bares his fangs, aiming for the barrier on her neck that separates him from the sweet, sweet call of sheer  **euphoria**.

"Kookie?" A sweeter lull calls, filled with anticipation.

The vibration of Solar's voice moves through Jungkook's hands and shakes him back to reality. Gritting his teeth, he presses his forehead against her shoulder in shame. "Solar." He responds, exhaling to purge all of the intense hunger from his body. "S...Solar." He repeats, like a metronome to hypnotize himself. Little by little, his appetite dissipates, leaving a surge of relief in its wake. "Sunshine." Jungkook sighs against her skin, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder as an uncover means of a gentle apology.

Solar shudders, her shoulders stiffening from the new sensation. "K-Kookie, what's going on?" Her face alights bright red, like a freshly lit flame.

"I need you." Jungkook whispers, his lips brushing across her shoulders and slowly trailing up towards her ear. He presses a second kiss there, and inhales her heavenly scent. Loosely, his arms tighten around her thin waist and he presses his well-built chest against her back. Slowly, his eyes open. Her figure is so petite against his— he gazes at her adorably small build and the blushing, flustered countenance that compliments it in the mirror. "You're beautiful." He whispers into her ear, and she flinches underneath his hold in response. "You don't realize it, but you shine like the sun. You're so incredibly bright. You're blinding. You glow so radiantly that sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming when I'm next to you." 

Bashfully, Solar smiles and intertwines their fingers together. "Stop it." She humbly remarks, with a tiny giggle to follow. 

"Never. Not in a million years. You're perfect, Kim Solar. And I need to make you mine." Jungkook exhales, locking eyes with her through the reflection of the mirror. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

A squeaky laugh immediately escapes her. "Of course, but geez, you couldn't have chosen a better time than when toothpaste is leaking out of my mouth?" Solar leans back into his protective figure, as if his arms have become a location of security for her.

"I wanted to make sure you were ready for our first kiss." Jungkook playfully remarks, unraveling his arms from her waist.

The blush on Solar's face only doubles in opacity. "You're too good at doing this to me." She whispers, bending towards the sink to spit out her toothpaste. Spinning around to finally face him, Solar stands on her very tippy-toes and throws her arms around his neck to press a passionate, long-awaited first kiss to his hungry lips.

Jungkook pulls her waist against him as pure satisfaction floods through his body. Every brush of her lips against his own sends an unbearably satisfying electricity through him. This feeling certainly isn't one of hunger. This feeling is one of desire, affection, and warmth all at once. A feeling he has never felt before. A feeling that could leave him drunk with gratification for the rest of his days.

For once, instead of the greedy taste of blood,  
Jungkook tastes the refreshing essence of mint on Solar's breath,  
and forgets all about his animalistic cravings.

From then onwards, life proceeds with a sense of free bliss that Jungkook has rarely felt before.

Before, Jungkook had staggered through life, struggling to satisfy himself with fake friendships and a false acceptance of his appetite. But now, with Solar reassuring him and holding his hand along the rough path, life becomes much easier. Although Jungkook's appetite becomes a problem occasionally, he has discovered his remedy. Whenever the hunger spikes, he dips down to claim her lips with his own, and the hunger is ultimately defeated with the giddiness and pleasure pooled in his chest. 

Arguably, as a couple, the pair are moving quickly. Just in their third week of dating, they have kissed approximately thirty times a day (he actually counted, yes), they have shared the bathroom comfortably, and Solar has resorted to sleeping in Jungkook's room on the weekends. Truthfully, despite what others may think, the pair wouldn't have it any other way. Although their progress may be moving quickly, their compatibility has soared through the roof, and they are happier than ever before. In these past few weeks he has learned a lot about her: about her ambitions of being a flight attendant, about her clingy friends in high school, and about her secret fear of being all alone.

Jungkook takes a special pride in providing a sense of safety for her; Solar has always particularly feared walking to class alone. Recently, he has adopted the habit of walking her to class and buying her lunch in between courses. Of course, the god-awful question he dreaded has come up before during their little lunch sessions. 

Just in the corner of his eye, he always notices her pretty pink lips uplifting into a smirk. Raising both pupils, he is able to survey her full cocky expression, which always happens to be dripping with sheer amusement. "What?" He humorously inquires, sipping at his water to feign ignorance.

"Why do you always buy me lunch, but you never eat it with me? I know you're always on a diet and you're a vegetarian too, but there's a limit to how little a person will eat." Solar lightheartedly questions, with a slight grin.

"I get full just buy watching you eat." Jungkook jokes and pats his stomach, hoping that she will buy his half-assed excuse.

"If you say so, cheesy weirdo." Solar responds, following with the same bubbly laughter as always.

Thankfully, she never fails to fall for his excuses.  
Except for during the most menial times, that is.

For example, during the start of Spring Cleaning. Apparently, his lazy excuse of, "I'm feeling sick," wasn't convincing enough for her.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Kookie." Solar groans in annoyance, tugging on his arm to force him out of bed. "You may be my boyfriend, but I'm not going easy on you! We're both still responsible for the cleanliness of the apartment! If I see cockroaches around here, I will freak out!" She whines, her ponytail swishing back and forth from her erratic movements.

"Ugh, fine." Jungkook sighs, his head hanging over the edge of the bed from being dragged so powerfully. "But before that, I want a kiss from my Sunshine. Please?" He makes adorable grabby gestures towards her, hoping that she will cave in.

"You're so needy." Solar jokes, before kneeling down to peck him on the lips. "Now hurry and clean, messy bunny." After patting him on the cheek, she scurries into her room in a desperate search for her cleaning utensils.

Breathing a long sigh, Jungkook musters up enough energy to crawl out of bed and drink in the state of his surroundings. His room is absolutely filthy, with study books, clothes, and electronics scattered all over the place. Briefly, he wonders how the neat, infinitely-clean Kim Solar is able to sleep in his room at times. Perhaps now is the time to make things more bearable for her. 

Jungkook diligently rushes back and forth around the room, folding clothes away and tucking away electronics in their respective areas. He even vacuums the floors and clears away the dust from the windows. Once in a while, Solar will bounce over to his room and playfully intrude on his cleaning, by knocking over an empty cup or a dustpan. Every single time, he tickles her until she shrieks and sprints out of the room. Their manner of bickering is certainly lively and pleasant, but honestly, Jungkook finds himself worried. Glancing in the corner, he realizes that his mini-fridge of blood packs must be wiped down and restocked. He desperately hopes that Solar will remain in her own cleaning territory for the time being.

After double-checking that his girlfriend is occupied with her own cleaning, Jungkook kneels down in front of his mini-fridge. Hastily, he unlocks the door and swings it open. He wastes no time before reaching inside and wiping away crusty stains from the shelves. Spare blood packs are frantically tossed inside and neatly stacked. Purely running on adrenaline now, Jungkook shuts the mini-fridge in preparation to lock it again, before realizing he had dropped a blood pack underneath. "Oh, shit—" He frantically reaches underneath, hoping that his hand will reach far enough and remove the remaining evidences of his crimes.

Swiftly, Jungkook is barely able to grasp the edge of the plastic packaging and toss it into the mini-fridge. He wildly rushes to shut the contraption and lock it, blood pumping through his veins at an impossibly high rate. 

"Kookie?" A voice resounds behind him, just as the lock is secured. Jungkook nearly jumps out of his socks, but remains calm for the sake of maintaining a convincing facade.

"Y-Yeah?" He answers semi-shakily, hoping that his voice will follow his command. "Did you come here to mess up my progress again?" He spins around, a falsely smug grin returning to his features. However, before he is able to carry the conversation on further, he takes notice of a large cardboard box resting by her feet. "What is that?"

"Your parents came by a minute ago. I asked them to come in, but they just pushed in this package, told me not to open it, and left." Puzzled, she tilts her head. "So it's probably for you?"

"Oh, um." Jungkook blinks, hurrying forward to retrieve the box. "Yeah, thanks." Retrieving a pair of scissors from his cabinet, Jungkook kneels in front of the package and slices through the duct tape. Gingerly, he lifts the first flap of the package—only to see a sea of crimson red trapped within plastic packages.

Frantically, Jungkook shuts the box and his eyes shoot up to survey Solar's countenance. Had she seen the blood packs hidden within the box?

"What did they send you?" Solar cluelessly inquires, wondering what could have prompted such a frantic response from him.

"Uh—food! Just food. But it's special vegetarian food, you know?" Jungkook smiles semi-confidently. He isn't lying, after all. His parents had technically sent him food for 'vegetarians', or so Jungkook refers to himself.

"Right." Solar hums in response, then smiles warmly. "Well, I'm happy for you! Must be nice to get a shipment of food from your parents."

"What, your parents didn't send you anything?" He carelessly questions while duct taping the box shut once more.

"Well, no." Solar mumbles, almost inaudibly. She tucks her hands behind her back modestly. "We're kinda estranged from each other."

"What?" Jungkook whirls around to face her, a world of concern rising in his chest. "Why, what happened?"

"Nothing. Get back to work, dummy." Dismissively, she skips over to kiss him on the cheek before scurrying off to her own tasks.

If she says so, then Jungkook believes her. Shrugging his shoulders, he resumes work to permanently hide away the traces of his large, unrevealed secret. Although their relationship may be weighed down by a one-sided lie, none of that seems to matter. Jungkook is foolishly happy, and Solar is more ecstatic than ever. They are unable to separate from each other in their intense bouts of passion, and it feels as if the world revolves around the two of them alone.

Perhaps that is what makes it so difficult to control his hunger even more.

Weekends are especially the worst, when it comes to controlling his body. When Solar crawls into bed with him, she transforms into an insatiable young woman, whose goal is to suck the energy out of him. Crawling on top of him in the darkness of the night, she straddles his hips and molds their lips together in an oh-so-satisfying battle for dominance. Her hands boldly travel across his chest and the indents of his abdomen, then settling for the comfort of his broad shoulders. Jungkook's favorite method of embrace is to trap her waist within his hold: to pull her hot body against his as his tongue passionately searches her mouth. He wants her so _badly_ , and fervently kissing her seems to fill this desire. But along the way, he has become exponentially greedier. He wants to kiss her _harder_ —he wants to feel her _harder_ — he  _desperately_  wants to _taste_ her even more. 

In all of his passion and his greed, Jungkook takes action. Grasping her by the hips, he tosses her back onto the bed and prowls on top of her, breathless and sweaty from their passionate exchange of affection. "You're mine." He almost _growls_ , as he beholds the sight of an aroused, panting Solar underneath him. Eyebrow twitching in arousal, he mercilessly presses their lips together. The bliss takes him on a high: a spike of pleasure that he will inevitably chase, using her divine taste as his vessel. Eventually, he becomes so helplessly caught up in the movement, so hopelessly infatuated with the beauty underneath him, that he bites her lip, practically puncturing through the skin.

This seems to drive Solar's arousal onwards. Moaning, she tightens her legs around his waist and only kisses him further. Jungkook gladly obliges, until suddenly **_a familiar, juicy, carnally satisfying taste of iron enters his mouth_**. Abruptly, _Jungkook's vision is flooded by sheer, white bliss_. In a raging fit of pure satisfaction and greed, he presses her helpless figure into the mattress and kisses her with an animalistic, frightful intensity. He can _taste_ her— he can taste her _blood_ — he can taste her delicious, gratifying, delectable, exquisite _blood_ , and he wants more, m o r e, _m o r e_ , **_more_** , **_MORE_**. 

In a beastly manner he painfully sucks on her bottom lip: relentless, desperate, desiring, unwilling to release her. He blindly searches for the repetition of that amazing, rich taste so he can find more—so he can feast upon it until his stomach is full and his cravings have long disappeared. _Yes_ , **_yes_** , **_YES_** —even if it means he has to pin her down now, he _will_ fucking drink from her—he will fucking suck every last drop of blood from her skinny little body until she can barely moan his name any longer. He has waited all of his life for this. For this divine taste, for this carnal feeling bunched up in his groin and his abdomen, for this intense luxury from the relief of indulgence in her rich, lovely taste. 

But the world will not allow it. Eventually, Solar develops a need for air. Although she clings onto him with such passion, she struggles to separate their faces, and eventually breaks away from the kiss with a desperate, painful gasp for air. Panting heavily, she lolls her head back on the pillow, both hypnotized by the passion and exhausted from the intensity that Jungkook has shown her.

Heaving arduously himself, Jungkook buries his face into her chest, feeling as her breasts rapidly rise and fall with her breathing. Her natural scent engulfs him, and soon enough, small hints of consciousness and rationality return to him. Small urges to feast upon her body seize him, but his inner conscious suppresses them before it can occur. He holds her gently, hoping that this position may allow him to regain that last speck of self-control left within him. 

Slowly, as Solar regains her breath, she releases her tight hold over him and softly smooths her hands through his hair. Unknowingly, she comforts him back into a state of calm and relaxation, away from the terrifying possibility that he may devour his own girlfriend anytime soon. "I'm sorry, Sunshine." Jungkook whispers against her chest, then presses a soft kiss to her collarbone. "I'm an idiot. I'm stupid. I'm reckless." 

"What are you talking about? What's wrong?" Solar huffs, glancing down to his dejected figure.

"....Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Jungkook mumbles, hefting himself upwards to gently press their foreheads together. "I just really want to protect you."

"You don't have to worry about that. I feel safe around you." Solar smiles, her hazel eyes reassuring him of false truths. "Just rest." She whispers, hugging him with  pure adoration swelling up in her chest.

Nodding his head, gradually, Jungkook falls into a calm state of rest, away from the worry his animalistic vampire tendencies.

But perhaps his state of calm is dangerous, or damaging, or even unhealthy.

After all, _we have witnessed this cycle before_ :  
the cycle of a rise in temptation, and the greed for more of the devil's promises.

* * *

Glossary of this universe's terminology:

  * Bloodhopper: A vampire who always feasts upon different prey. 
  * Loyal / Sinner: A vampire who feasts upon one singular prey. Often frowned upon by other vampires.
  * Inbetween: A vampire who feasts upon a fixed group of prey.
  * Bloodhopping Plague: A plague launched upon the human population when vampires were first introduced and were unable to control their hunger.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sorry for the late chapter update again! A lot of stuff is going on recently, with end of exams and all. I hope you guys like this chapter! It was pretty hard for me to get back into the grind of writing after all that studying, haha. But still, definitely let me know how you liked it! I adore hearing feedback. :)


	8. Stigma #3: Singularity.

Now, the concept of a hidden secret within a relationship may seem insignificant to you.

You may inquire: if Jungkook and his oblivious comrade Solar are able to coexist peacefully despite untold truths, then why can't anyone else?

If so, then you fail to realize how detrimental a hidden truth can truly be after many, many years.

You have disregarded the blatant trust that binds two kindred spirits together. You have become blinded with hope; hope that arose from the admiration of a blooming flower, colorful and graceful in its allure. 

Tangled up within the possibility of this beauty, you fail to realize something.

When you kneel beside this shimmering flower, infatuated and hypnotized with its bewitching shine, you will pluck it from its rightful home. You will fail to realize the damage that has been inflicted, until the flower wilts in your senseless hands and the exhausted petals flutter away in the winds. 

If you sever the stem, then every trace of life dies along with it.

If a relationship had grown with poisonous lies at its roots, then its flower suddenly becomes meaningless.

Like so, Kim Taehyung absolutely loathes himself for planting his seeds too early.

After all, everybody says  ** _you reap what you sow_.**  

 **And now is the time for Taehyung to reap his sorrows**. "Wheein-ah... are you okay?" Taehyung nervously inquires, anxiously biting down on his lip. Following Wheein's horrifying discovery of Taehyung's true nature, she had silently muttered her wish to return home early. Uneasy as all hell, Taehyung followed her out of the bar door, after leaving behind a note to his boss and returning his drunken victim to her group of frantic friends. Now, they are stiffly strolling home together, surprisingly still striding side-by-side. Wheein has neglected to meet his gaze ever since the grand revelation, and has barely answered any of his fretful questions. It seems she has sobered up enough to harbor a reasonable grudge against his lies. Still, despite this, Taehyung decides he would rather take his chances to earn a proper answer. "Kitten?"

Wheein lowers her head further towards the pavement, a shadow covering the truth of her countenance. "I'm fine." She mutters, a harsh and cold tone stabbing him straight in the chest. Never, in all the years they have spent together, has Wheein ever spoken to him with such lonely distance resonating in her voice.

Taehyung is unable to suppress a slight shiver that strikes his veins. This is it. He has truly and utterly fucked up their four years of dating. This is where his happiness ceases. This is where all of his hopes and dreams crash straight to the ground, all because of dishonesty and fear left unresolved from the very getgo. Fuck, he really screwed this up. "Okay." He acknowledges and swallows, despite a dry mouth. God, he has never been so stressed and anxious. He feels like an utter asshole. 

After what feels like an eternity, the pair reach their shared apartment. Taehyung, treading on the need to compromise for his foolishness, rummages in his pockets to unlock the door. He swings the door open, awaiting for his beloved girlfriend to enter the apartment first while nervously licking his dry lips. With chestnut eyes permanently glued to her tiny form, he watches for any sign of a change in her ice-cold expression: for any trace of forgiveness that he could possibly cling to.

Wheein shifts in her stance, prepared to step forward. However, in a sudden instant, her eyebrow twitches downwards and she actually fucking _hesitates_ to enter. Taehyung feels his heart leap a thousand miles in his chest. For a second, he becomes fully prepared to drop to his knees and beg for her eternal forgiveness. Thankfully, before he does anything idiotic and irrationally desperate, Wheein swiftly strides past him and into the dark apartment. 

Relying purely on survival instinct by now, Taehyung's legs bring him into the apartment. He surveys her distress amidst in the darkness and decides that now would be the perfect opportunity to smooth out the rough edges in their misunderstandings. Taking a deep breath to mentally prepare himself, he takes control of the reigns and steps ahead of her—to their bedroom, where only a faint sliver of moonlight through the curtains provides any lighting.

Taehyung settles cross-legged on the edge of the mattress and pats the spot directly in front of him. Wheein, still standing numbly in the hallway, eventually caves into his request and strides into the bedroom. Sitting directly across from him, she blankly pulls her legs against her chest and firmly hugs her knees— perhaps as a coping mechanism for her crippling grief.

Uncomfortable, painful, and suffocating silence befalls the pair. An apologetic sense of guilt floods into Taehyung's chest the more he gazes at Wheein's inevitable anguish. He knows that face. The poor thing is unable to even make direct eye contact. Pale, silent, and distant, Wheein holds the expression of a woman who is currently distressed, frustrated, and... afraid.

Afraid... of **_him_**. 

Taehyung holds his breath, admittedly dismayed by this unspoken truth. Shit... he's such a fucking idiot. If he allows this conflict to soak in venom any longer, then this relationship will be poisoned permanently. But.. how can he save a shattered sense of trust? Perhaps he cannot. But Taehyung would rather die trying than surrender the one woman who means the world to him. Balling his hands into fists, he channels all of his energy and sorrow into finding those first words: the pitiful words he had eternally hoped would never be necessary between them. "...I'm sorry I didn't tell you first."

Silence follows his sincere apology. Admittedly terrified, Taehyung inhales sharply, sucking in the last of his courage from the stuffy atmosphere to evoke any reaction at all. "Wheein, I.. I've always been lying to you."

"Tae.." With a tone of absolute discouragement and distrust, Wheein whispers her inquiry. "Why didn't you just tell me from the very beginning?"

"I don't know. Why couldn't I say it then?" Taehyung shakily sighs, threading a hand through his once-neatly combed hair. "I was scared you wouldn't accept me the way I am. I've had it buried in lies and.. and I couldn't hold it in anymore. No matter how much I hide it and cover it up, the truth doesn't go away. I... I had to learn that the hard way."

"How often have you been lying to me?" A cold, wary voice causes him to stiffen in fear. "Was everything a lie? Did you even love me?"

"What?! Kitten, I would nev—"

"Don't call me that!" A hot flash of fear seizes Wheein's trembling body. She shouts, almost if on impulse, and retreats back into herself for safety. Taehyung stares painfully at her, stricken still by the absolute hatred circulating on her features. 

"....Wheein." A faint pause to recollect his broken composure, "Please. Give me a chance to explain properly." He pleads, nervously fidgeting his hands together. He avoids touching her, for the fear of crossing a newly drawn line. "I can really explain. I want you to know the truth."

"The truth about how you were drinking some poor girl's blood? About how you're a fucking **vampire**? Honestly, I think I've already seen enough to know."

"Please." Taehyung begs ceaselessly, pure frustration and desperation bringing hot tears to his eyes. His deep, gentle voice breaks up into segments as he speaks, for the anguish and misery clog up his throat and cripples his ability to properly communicate his deep regret.

Gradually, Wheein's wariness begins to dwindle. Her countenance morphs rapidly: from furious, to irritated, to bitter, to silent pondering. Her hesitant gaze falls to the bedsheets neatly spread in front of her. "...Fine." She mutters, the moonlight highlighting the doubt on her face. "..But no more lies."

"Yeah. No more lies." Taehyung echoes, as if hammering the idea into his own dense brain. Briefly, he pauses to collect his thoughts and properly explain himself. "..I'm sorry you had to see it. I've.. I've tried to hide it for so long. Every opportunity when you had your back turned, I was so hungry I just had to—I had to _eat_. I didn't want you to hate me. So I had to hide it. Because.. because I love you so much. I have always loved you. But I knew you and your family have never liked vampires.. And I couldn't risk watching you walk away from me."

"So you lied to me about being a vampire... because you wanted to be with me?"

".....Yes."

"That... That doesn't make sense, Tae! You know I hate your lies more than anything! Don't you understand why I'm pissed? I dropped out of college to be with you, for fuck's sake, but now I'm realizing that maybe," She chokes up, "Maybe I don't even know who you are. Maybe all of my efforts were all stacking onto a fucking lie."

"Wheein-ah, that's not true!" Desperation and panic begin rising up in his chest. Frantically, he props himself up on both knees and grasps her delicate hands. "Please, just trust me when I say our love is really genuine! But no matter how much I love you, it doesn't change that I can't control what I eat! I wasn't born to eat what you do!"

"What do you mean? You eat my food all the time!"

"....And.. And then I vomit." Taehyung mutters, slowly releasing her hands out of sheer shame. He swallows thickly, the phantom pain of induced vomiting causing his throat to dry. "That's why the sink is always clogged."

"But.. But you still eat my food?" Utter confusion and pity overtakes her features. "Th-Then what else do you eat?"

"Blood." He grimaces at his own pitiful confession, "I can only digest blood."

"Then, all those times you were locked up in the backroom with drunk girls—"

"—I was drinking their blood."

"T-Tae.." Wheein pales, a sudden realization beginning to dawn on her. All of those news forecasts warning citizens of vampiric murder should have been an obvious warning. "Do they... die? Have you killed anyone?"

"What?! No!" Taehyung immediately interjects, afraid that she may despise him for such a rapidly false conclusion. "I never drink that much blood!"

"Then why... why haven't you drunken mine?"

Instantly, Taehyung is struck silent. The idea of drinking Wheein's blood has consistently haunted him from the first day he laid his eyes upon her. Beautiful and bright, Wheein seemed utterly unapproachable. Everyday he lusted after her, sneaking glances and drooling at the thought of her blood on his tongue. Ashamed and extremely regretful from his own cravings, Taehyung lowers his head and mutters the truth. "I've.. I've always wanted to drink your blood. But.. I can't. I can't hurt you like that."

No response is spoken. Fearing that he may have permanently scared her off, Taehyung lifts his head to observe her mixed expression. Initially, he feels discouraged that her feelings of 'love' are much too scant to accept his race. But gradually, as he recalls their blissful moments together, he regains the courage to salvage the remnants of their trust. "..Wheein, no matter who I am or whose blood I drink," He scoots closer and reaches for her hand once more, "I will always lov—"

"D-Don't!" Wheein speaks loudly, scooting backwards to avoid contact. Distress displays itself on her face through furrowed eyebrows and eyes that refuse to settle on one object. "Don't tell me that right now. I'm really... confused." Biting her lip, she eventually settles her gaze upon the pillow beside them. "I need some sleep." Like a child scrambling to hide, Wheein stumbles off the bed, throws on her pajamas, and dives underneath the blankets.

Blood running cold, Taehyung dejectedly observes her figure, facing the opposite direction from him and fully covered by the sheets. He hangs his head, the memory of his rejected love poisoning his thoughts. "...Goodnight." He silently croaks, trudging to the bathroom to shower and drown out his thoughts. Internally, he desperately hopes that the consequences of his past will improve in the morning.

Unfortunately, when morning arrives, the only indication of "improvement" that arrives is the wafting scent of bacon throughout the apartment. 

Just barely opening his eyes, Taehyung drowsily raises his arm to shield his nose in disgust. Although bacon may be mouthwatering to humans, pork has always been repulsive to vampires. Using his other arm to rub the sleep from his eyes, he then rolls over to check for Wheein's sleeping figure beside him. Much to his expectations, all that meets his gaze is an empty reminder of the pain he has caused her. The space beside him on the bed is devoid of any presence. Wheein must be in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

So that explains the bacon smell, then.  
... _But does it really?_

Throwing his legs off the edge of the bed, Taehyung scurries out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. There within their small, comforting little kitchen, he stumbles upon Wheein's petite silhouette, preparing the table with two plates of steaming hot bacon and eggs. 

Normally, any boyfriend would have smiled in bliss and thanked her for her efforts.  
Unfortunately, Taehyung's situation makes it impossible to be grateful.

And you know damn well why.

"...Why did you make two plates of food?" Taehyung almost whispers, his voice unable to carry the weight of his insecurities.

At the sound of Taehyung's voice, Wheein whirls around almost frantically. For a moment, she fidgets with her shirt and wiggles in place: a habit she had obtained during recent moments of severe anxiety. Taehyung awaits upon her patiently, until her anxious movements become still and her gaze falls to the floor. "..You're right. Why _did_ I make two plates of food? You can't even eat any." A jaded, bitter, and utterly hopeless laugh escapes her. "...Old habits die hard, I guess." Free of hesitation, Wheein retrieves Taehyung's designated plate of food and sourly dumps it into the trash.

The sound of the glass plate against the metal trash can sends shivers and sorrow through Taehyung's back. Tears of slight betrayal gather in his eyes, but fail to fall. "You didn't have to do that." He whispers, still unable to pridefully voice his opinions.

"You're right, I didn't have to." Wheein breathes a heavy sigh, then sits down at the dining table. Avoiding blatant eye contact, she gestures to the seat directly in front of her."...Sit down, I have something to ask you."

Taehyung gulps, soaking in the sight of a dining table that closely resembles an interrogation room— in his frightened eyes, at least. "Okay." He stiffly nods, then slips into the designated chair. Rather than pestering for an answer like yesterday night, Taehyung remains silent and polite, willing to be patient as long as it assists him in regaining her utmost trust.

Awkwardly, a moment of silence passes. Wheein pokes at her steaming food, occasionally scooping one or two bites into her mouth. From her sluggish manner of consuming, Taehyung can discern her weak appetite. Obviously, there are loads of questions on her mind. Having dated her for so long, it becomes common sense. Despite the both of them fully aware of this, it takes exactly two minutes for her to properly glance at him and introduce her feelings. "....I thought about it last night." She begins, laboriously breathing in to continue, "And I realized I don't know anything."

"...About what?"

"Vampires." Wheein directly blurts out, "I don't know anything about vampires. Tell me something."

"Okay." Taehyung submissively nods, pausing a brief moment to compile all of the unnecessarily complicated details in his head. "..Well, no one knows when vampires exactly started showing up, but I'm sure you know about the Bloodhopping Plague. The plague where vampires still had no self-control, and killed hundreds of people." He carefully introduces, licking his dry lips. "Since then, every human on Earth has been struggling to hunt us and— and for what? I mean.. we're hungry. All of us are. We've been trying to adapt to humans and survive. But.. not everyone is the same. Sinners exist, who drink blood from one dedicated person. We have Bloodhoppers like me, who drink whatever is available to them. And... we have those Inbetweens, who drink blood from a certain group of people, instead."

"So you even have different kinds of vampires.." Wheein wilts, the information weighing heavily on her shoulders. "But the first ones: why are they called Sinners?"

"They used to be called Loyals, actually.. because they live solely on one person's blood." Taehyung nervously bites his lip; this is the information he has dreaded during every waking moment of his miserable life. "If a vampire drinks one person's blood constantly, eventually their body becomes dependent on it. It kicks in like an addiction. Eventually you'll want more and more and more, and you become like a parasite until the growing greed and desire kills your host." Shamefully, he lowers his gaze. "From thereon, there isn't much left to do but to die. Once your host is gone, you're driven mad with hunger. Psychologically, you cannot drink anyone else's blood. It's only a matter of time before you claw your own eyes out from insanity or starve to death on your own."

"B-But that's enough to call them Sinners?"

"No, but we have a real reason. Back then, Sinners would always fall in love with their prey; and with love comes the desire to live together for a long time. They wouldn't allow their human to die so easily. So Sinners would turn their humans into fellow vampires."

"...Is that a bad thing?"

"Don't you get it? Vampires can't drink each others' blood. The Sinner would force themselves to live a painful withdrawal from their human's blood, and now their partner must feed on others too. If you repeat that cycle with enough people, then everybody will eventually turn into vampires. Humans will disappear, and the food stock will be low. Everybody will die, and we can't let that happen." Taehyung frowns, frustrated by the nature of their universe. "So we call them Sinners, and we shun them. That way, we can socially prevent anything bad from happening to humans like you."

"Humans... _like me_." Wheein mutters, her gaze darkening by the second. "So we really are completely different."

Immediately regretting his blunt tone, Taehyung's expression softens tenfold. "...Wheein-ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like—"

"—Taehyung," She interjects, abruptly arising from her chair.

Taehyung gazes up at her frightfully, fearful of his inability to read her current thoughts. "...Yeah?"

"Do me a favor." Wheein demands, balling her hands into fists. 

"Okay. I'll do anything. Just say the word."

Shuffling uncomfortably in her spot, she eventually caves in breathes a heavy sigh. "Let me watch you eat."

"..Okay." Taehyung nods receptively, his blurry eyes falling to the floor once more. Although the fear of rejection and disgust floods his veins, he obliges... **_for her_**. "I would do anything for you."

With two mutual nods of equal understanding, the pair set about their day, speaking no more of the exposed truth between them.

For Taehyung, his entire world has been flipped upside down.

All because of a single slip-up: a fault of his stupid fucking animal instincts.

But no matter how much he may bitch and moan about it,  
 **the animalistic desire will never disappear.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before you guys murder me for taking 3 months to write a single chapter, hear me out. XD I graduated from high school, and then I went on vacation so it took me a while to write. Plus, I had major writer's block because I really really hate dialogue-heavy scenes. Honestly, I'm not super proud of this chapter like I usually am. But it's finally here, so yay! I hope you enjoyed, let me know how you liked it. :)


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